Perhaps due to the popularity of the Chinese movie "Lost in Thailand", which was shot in northern Thailand, Pai has seen a significant increase in the number of mainland Chinese tourists and group tours during 2014.
Much of the signage in tourist areas of Pai now features Chinese characters.
While the growth of Pai has been rapid and more or less every farm in the valley seems to rent bungalows, development so far has been largely tasteful and the town remains relatively serene during low-season.