Vegan and vegetarian food in Thailand – Pai
I’ve heard about Pai long before I ever planed a trip to Thailand. In 2009, while in India, I met a German guy who told me, I should go to Pai, a little tiny city in northern Thailand with a very progressive and alternative crowd.
So, I guess it was time to visit Pai, the famous hippy haven.
After a 3 hour bus ride from Chiang Mai and almost 800 curves we arrived to Pai.
My stomach complained the whole way, the way up to the mountains is really hard, the mini van drivers drive too fast, so we felt absolutely every little move and for most of the time I felt like some sort of merchandise at a back of a speedy van who had no problems driving in a totally crazy way up hill.
Next to me, there was a group of Chinese girls who were struggling not to vomit!
If you’re making your way up to Pai, get some pills for motion sickness first.
Once in Pai, I began to explore the food scene and I was very happy with what I found! A great variety of vegan and vegetarian food at affordable prices everywhere!
VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN FOOD IN PAI
PURE VEGAN FOOD – CHEW XIN JAI
222 Moo 4 T. wingtai – PAI
Tel: 0857173628
This is the only 100% vegetarian restaurant in Pai. The whole menu features vegan foods only and offers great variety. It’s a Chinese restaurant.
Don’t expect to find a lot of Thai culture in here, Pai is mainly westernized, but it doesn’t feel fake at all. It seemed to me that most Thais around here assimilated the western culture, mixed with their own and formed something hybrid, very interesting and welcoming.
You can find both traditional Thai foods as well as continental options. The vegan and vegetarian food in Thailand is very fresh and Pai is not exception.
THE GOOD LIFE
Soi 1 Tel:08-4378-5950
VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT & SUKI- YAKI
This restaurant is actually not a vegetarian restaurant. I went there for lunch once and found out they serve both vegetarian and meat based dishes.
OM GARDEN CAFE
JULIE COFFEE
For western Foods, try Julie Coffee.
A beautifu place to have coffe and bakery products |
PAI JAIDEE THAI-GERMAN RESTAURANT
German- Thai food, might sound like a strange combination, but this one serves hybrid foods.
The flowers are amazing! |
762 curves to reach Pai |
STREET FOOD IN PAI
Everyday, there’s a street market in Pai with lots of food, half of them vegan.
There’s spring rolls for 30thb, french fries, fruit, shakes and lately, there was a lady selling western food, like vegetarian lasagna, pasta, etc.
Vegan spring rolls for 30thb |
My first western food in a long time! |
I made a short film of the market in Pai, with my friends Abby and Stefano. She’s a great singer and was craving for pancakes!
Pai is a little paradise I will explore in depth, there are lots of things to do, in the city and surroundings. I fell in love with pai!
Do you want more info about Pai? Here are some of the best things to do in Pai Thailand!
I love Pai so much!
me too
Pai is one of the most intense places I’ve been so far, but I wonder how much more commercial can it become and will it be another mainstream place in Thailand soon? I hope to go there again, one day! Hopefully, it will still be a little hippy haven!
I really want to go to Pai . It looks like a place you can end up staying for a long time.
Most of the people I’ve met in Pai, were long term visitors who just couldn’t leave. There’s something very magical about this little town. You won’t find anything “really Thai” but for some reason it feels real anyway. There are a lot of tribal areas around Pai, there’s a local bus which passes by the areas most agencies try to sell expensive day trips. You can just take a local bus and do it yourself, this way your money will stay within the local communities, if you use an agency, the tribal communities will get basically nothing, since they’re legally not allowed to be tour guides (some of them are refugees, therefore not legally allowed to apply for a working permit).
Are you in Thailand right now?
I’m not in Thaibut have done Bangkok and the south only have the north to go now.
There’s a radical difference between the north and the south. I think you might fall in love for the north, that’s where all the culture is, people are super friendly and it’s much cheaper than the south. Chiang Mai and Pai are a must. I stayed at “family huts”, very comfy, centrally located huts for 100thb (low season) with breakfast included
Im grateful for the blog.Really looking forward to read more. Cool.
clothing byron bay
Thank you