Pai River


The Pai River is a river that originates in the mountains of the Daen Lao Range, in Pai district, Mae Hong Son province, Thailand. It flows first in a north–south direction and then east–west, down to Mueang Mae Hong Son district and across the Thai/Myanmar border. The river flows into the Salween River in Kayah State, Myanmar. It is long.
In the Lanna language, "Pai" means "male elephant", comparable to the word "plai" in the central Thai language. There is a story that in 1477, King Tilokaraj, ruler of the Lanna Kingdom, ordered his cousin Prince Si Chaiya to attack Ban Don. Meanwhile, one of his white elephants fled, and it was later found swimming in this river.
Pai River is popular for whitewater rafting. Rapids on the river range from class I to class IV on the International Scale of River Difficulty.