Pua lies in a broad valley in the far north of Thailand, about sixty kilometres from the Laotian border, and in the rainy season the whole basin turns a vivid, almost electric green. The rice fields stretch up to the foothills, with farmhouses on stilts and buffalo grazing along the dykes, and at harvest in November they turn gold. Pua is the market town of the district, and the people include Thai Lue, Hmong and Mien, whose silver jewellery, indigo cloth and embroidered tunics fill the stalls on market days. Chiang Klang, the bigger town fourteen kilometres on, supplies most of the district's fuel and shops.
The roads in Nan province are among the best in Thailand for riding, and the one that climbs out of Pua toward Bo Kluea, Highway 1081, has a name among motorcyclists. It runs up through forest and past hill farms in a long sequence of curves, with the cloudy ridges of Doi Phu Kha National Park on one side, and the surface is mostly smooth. The park holds a tree that Thais love, the chomphu phukha, which covers the hills in pale pink blossom in January and February, and the high ridges are cool enough for a jacket even in the hot season.
The local culture is rich and quiet. Pua is known for woven fabrics, particularly the Thai Lue style with its bold geometric patterns, which are often made on old wooden looms under the houses. In the villages, small temples with gilded roofs stand out against the green, and monks in saffron robes walk the roads in the early morning collecting alms. Stopping at a roadside stall for sticky rice, grilled pork and a glass of sweet iced tea is always a good idea.
Fuel is available in Pua and Chiang Klang, though you should not rely on the stations in the higher villages. The best season is from November to February, when the air is cool and clear, but the green season has its own beauty. The roads can be slick during heavy rain, and landslides sometimes close sections of the mountain roads, so check conditions. At dusk the hills turn blue and the air fills with the sound of crickets and the smoke of cooking fires.