Pai is a small community, embraced by rolling mountains and enveloped in natural setting that is fresh and beautiful. The atmosphere is clean, pure, quiet and warmly welcoming. The different ethnic groups, religious beliefs and languages of the people of plains and the people of the mountains have blended together here to form a unique set of cultural traditions.
The citizens of Pai live their lives with a spirit of generosity and a sense of community, always ready to give someone a helping hand. Yet at the same time, the remoteness of the region makes travel to and from Pai difficult. Many people would rather not come and risk their chances in such an isolated place. However, many other people entrust their luck to fate in this very spot, and others dream of having just one chance in their lives to come and experience the summit of the north of Thailand.
Pai can be found to the northwest of Bangkok, 1035 kilometers along the main roads, at19.15 degrees - 19.30 degrees latitude north and at 98.15 degrees – 98.30 degrees longitude east. AT its lowest, Pai is 508 meters from sea level. The highest summit, Doi Jik Jong, which can be seen from Pai, is 1,972 meters from sea level. You can climb this mountain and experience the tropical forest and virgin jungle of the area.
The population can be divided into 7 main groups.
1. The Shan
The Shan people were the original native of Pai who migrated from the Shan State in Burma. Their language is similar to an ancient form of Thai used in the Sukhothai era. The written form of the Shan language belongs to the Austroasiatic group of languages. The letters are rounded and spherical and the alphabet has 19 consonantsthat can alternate to produce several sounds with different meanings.
The women were a style of clothes quite similar to Burmese women. The borders oftheir blouses are decorated with embroidered flowers, have round necks and Chinese style buttons made of fabric. The men’s trousers are shoulder bags and silver swords around their waists.
2. The Northern Thai
The lifestyle of the northern Thai is in some ways similar to the lifestyle of the Shan. Some historians have concluded that the northern Thai migrated from China, following the river Kong. The northern Thais have their own spoken and written language, with 37 consonants in the alphabet making up a variety of sound.
Traditionally, they were a thick cloth that they dye themselves. They wind a length of cloth around their heads. Their shirts have round necks, short sleeves and Chinese style buttons. Their trousers are wide with sagging crotches. The women wear sarongs called pha-sins or pha-tungs. This is the second group of native people that lives in Pai.
3. The Karens
Anthropologists have deduced that the Karen tribe is of Mongol-Tibetan encestry and came from the plains of Tibet to Burma and then to Thailand. The Karens have their own spoken language. The written form of the languages was compiled by missionaries, modified from Burmese, about 100 years ago.
The Karens dress traditionally in clothes made from cloth that they are skilled in weaving themselves, white dresses that are loose and reach down to their ankles. Married women wear the same style dress but in other colours.
4. The Lahu
The Lahu tribe is of Lolonosu ancestry with its own spoken language which has no written form.
The women wear short jackets to their waists with red stripes on the long sleeves.In the past the Lahu tribe were nomadic. They are very skilled at hunting different kindsof animals and have earned the name “ the hunters of the mountains” . They value friendship highly and are honest people.
5. The Lisu
The Lisu people migrated from Yunnan, following the Salween river into Burma and Thailand . The spoken and written forms of their language are similar to Chinese.
The men wear knee-length Chinese trousers in bright colours and black jackets with cylindrical sleeves. The women wear long, Chinese style pinafores, decorated with brightly coloured pieces of cloth. Underneath they wear knee-length trousers and pieces of cloth tied around their shins. Over their hair they wind pieces of beautifully decorated material. They build their houses on high ground and cover them with clay to keep out the cold. If they live on the lowlands, they build their houses on high stilts.
6. The Meo
The physical appearance and written and spoken language of the Meo tribe are very similar to the Chinese
The men wear knee-length, black trousers, waist-length jackets and round Chinese hats.The women wear short, knee-length skirts that are pleated and full, Chinese style waistcoatsand wind cloth around their heads. They build houses using clay to keep out the wind just like the ethnic southerners of Thailand, and don’t usually build their houses on mountaintops.
7.The Haw Chinese
The Haw Chinese come from Chiang Kai Shek’s 93rd Army that lost to the Chinese Communist Party 50 years ago. They came from Yunnan province into Burma and Thailand, following their leader, General Lao Li. After disarming, they came into Chiang Dao and Fang districts ( Chiang Mai province ) and some came tobuild homes in Pai. Nowadays they constitute a large community and have considerable influence in the mountains.
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