Pai - Christmas & New Year??

Pai ? are you joking!

Pai is a boring backbacker ghetto. Sounds right up your alley.

By Thai standards the nights get pretty cold in Pai and the surrounding hilly area in December (days still crisp but warm) so that might give it a "Christmas" vibe. It's popular with backpackers, and Thousands of Thai tourists come up from Bangkok and elsewhere to experience the "cold season" so be prepared for busy crowds in town and accommodation quite full. Have a look at backpacker-geared options on Travelfish.

You might alternatively go a bit further to the small town of Soppong on the road to Mae Hong Son. Check out Cave Lodge and Soppong River Inn and be sure to visit the huge Lod Cave nearby. Further south along the "Mae Hong Son Loop" consider Mae Sariang, a decent-size but still very chilled town with good accommodation options along the Yuam river, e.g. Riverhouse Hotel or something more rustic (cheap) Northwest Guesthouse.

Pai at New Years
Imagine small Ethiopian refugee camps dotted around the countryside and streets congested with vehicles
Otherwise pretty nice

Alligator 1 - no need to be offensive, people come on here for help not to be insulted. As I said, it'll be our first time in Thailand and I haven't managed to get a travel guide yet so don't know anything about the place - just one friends opinion.

Captain_bob - thanks for the genuine reply, will look into the links you sent me. If it's going to be too cold may head south to start with & go that way later on in our trip when it's a bit warmer, will see. Thanks.

Laura

Ha Ha, "cold" in this case means 12-15C at night, but still warm upper 20s daytime. Pai is a favourite punching bag for many veteran visitors who long for the "good ol days", but you just need to get up and walk/ride/stay out of town to enjoy peace and quiet.

my feedback (exclude the "Ethiopian") was genuinely attemptimg to reflect the NY experience
otherwise a nice place

You don't need to book ahead for budget travellers guesthouses , many operate on 1st come 1st served basis and don't take bookings . You could just turn up and stay at Dwang Guesthouse opposite the bus station then walk around to check out other places.
Pai is nothing special and even before it became a tourist town there wasn't that much there. Some people find the commercalism and endless English signs and restaurants etc etc a bit much . And its not just "backpackers" but mainstream tourists too . It may be that alot of tourists come to Pai as an alternative to Changmai which some tourists feel is too choked with traffic.
I agree with Bobs Cave Lodge recommendation about Cave Lodge and feel Tham Lod has some of the best natural scenery in Nth Thailand. However its often very quiet . although it was one of the first guesthouses in the Nth West it doesn't get that many individual travellers these days , Pai has sucked up everyone like a magnet.

LINK tp YouTube video showing scenes in and around Tham Lod , Soppong and further west to Wilderness Lodge at Ban Nam Khong . The owner of Cave Lodge -John Spees can be seen in the Wilderness Lodge footage. If staying at Cave Lodge read John's memoirs they are an eye opener.

Great, thanks for all the info, really helpful. :-)

Laura