Aya Minibus to Pai – A test in gastric fortitude
Seems Aya has the market cornered on transportation from Chaing Mai to Pai so being the backpacker sheep we are (har har) we hopped right on board.
I’ve come to know most minibus drivers to be pretty nutty behind the wheel; just something about them I guess. Our Aya driver though, someting “special” about him: some certain flair, affinity to just being an all out asshole driver.
The road to Pai begins what later continues as over a thousand hair pin turns; fortunately we only received the “pleasure” of the couple dozen. Cutting corners, passing on blind curves, hurtling the van along bends, g-force pressing us and our unfortunate fellow passengers into the sheet metal: no mercy.
Seemed out of fashion for even normal chaotic Thai driving style. Especially out of fashion was the hostile use of the horn (and then NO use of the horn when needed around blind curves).
All of us came out alive, I do hand it to him for that, but came away with a hell of a headache. Unfortunately, this trip will have to be repeated, an ocassiona I’m not at all looking forward to but this, I’ll be packing Dramamine!
08.Apr.09 
South East Asia 2009
I did that run on a motorbike (took like a half hour longer than the minibus), no way would I stray over the center line on the corners. Those minibus drivers are truly insane.
The 2nd best Tex-Mex in Thailand/Southeast Asia is in Pai (it’s sort of a Thai interpretation of it). The best is Miguel’s, in Chiang Mai.
This was from the Wikitravel site talking about the road form Chaing Mai to Pai:
“It’s a steep and windy drive, with lots of curves, so take a plastic bag and some motion-sickness pills if you need them.”
“To feel less travel sick and save some money take the regular public bus. The scenery is lovely and the winding roads are much easier on one’s stomach if you take things slowly.”
So, although the minibus is quicker, the regular bus may be less chaotic. However you choose to return to Chaing Mai – go safely!