Pai Park Cottage

I’ve stayed here many times, sometimes for weeks, and the location in the heart of Pai can’t be beat. The grounds are beautiful, and it’s a good place to unwind beside the river at a reasonable price. Rooms range from very cheap to mid-range; the nicer ones cost more but are still quite reasonable. The family running the place is great. Treat them with respect and they’ll return it. The bridge on the way in is a little funky, but remember you’re in Thailand.

The noise made it impossible for me to recommend this place. Young, loud Israeli backpackers filled the villa, singing until 2:30-3am and playing films on a projector with a loud speaker until 2am. When I asked them to quiet down, I got death stares. The receptionist was nearby but did nothing. I felt like I had to walk on eggshells around her, and I won’t stay here again. At check-in, I was taken to a dark room at the back of a concrete villa, with no view. I’d booked a bungalow overlooking the river, as shown in the photo, so this felt like false advertising. When I asked to switch to the room I’d reserved for those dates, the woman said other people were in it and that she wouldn’t kick anyone out. She then got aggressive and shouted, “IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN CHECK OUT!!” Pai was fully booked, so I had nowhere else to go and begrudgingly stayed in that dungeon-like room. Maybe a masochist would enjoy it, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who wants to sleep.

We’d reserved a room for three people three days ahead, but when we arrived at 9 pm, we were told there wasn’t a room for three. They wouldn’t add another bed, and the person showed no interest in helping.

The host’s hostile response was the worst part. She arrived an hour after I did, then screamed and cursed at me, told me to “talk to Agoda,” and dismissed me without an apology or any help. She aggressively denied responsibility for the overbooking. I’d confirmed a 10-night Agoda booking weeks in advance, but when I arrived, I was told my room was overbooked. It was peak season, and I had my small dog with me, so I was stranded. I had to camp the first night and pay extremely high last-minute rates somewhere else. While waiting at the outdoor bungalow, I also saw cockroaches. Save yourself the trouble. There are plenty of reliable places in town where you’re less likely to be left stranded or verbally abused. Phil Dum’s earlier negative review was spot-on, and I wish I’d taken it more seriously.