If you want to stay in a quiet, beautiful and peaceful place in North Thaïland, choose this one. Far away from the cities, Thaton is the best spot to explore the Gold Triangle and get to know about people, tribes and refugees.

Paulo, the Frenchman who designed, built and now owns Old Tree's house (whose name was inspired by ... the huge tree at the top of the hill on which this guesthouse is situated), is such a good host and he has thought the place over, in order to allow you to chill and relax in a family atmosphere (every room has its own DVD player and mini bar is free !!!).

Of course, if you speak French, you will get much much more from Paulo, if you want to know about everyday life in Thaïland, but do not worry : he speaks english very well, as he has been traveling for quite some time around the world. No need to say his wife and the rest of his family are all smiling, helpful and... perfect cooks !!!!!!

From old tree's house, Paulo organizes tours where you're unlikely to see any other tourist. Among them, we enjoyed so much our journey with Renato, a real phenomena ... !

We highly recommand this place : go and see for yourself !

What a wonderful place! Paulo and Nid have made a beautiful spot and are the most welcoming and friendly hosts. When we mentioned that we wanted to do some hiking, Paulo hooked us up with a local guide named Renato. He was a wealth of information and a really fun guide. Ask for him- he was fantastic!! The food was great there and Thaton is a wonderful little town. Definitely worth making a detour to stay at Old Tree's House.

All I can say is WOW!!!! During my 2 week trip to Thailand, Thaton and Old Tree's House were by far my favorite experiences.

Thaton is a small village about 3 hours north of Chiang Mai on the border of Burma (Myanmar). It looks to be a one road town with a handful of roadside cafes and B&Bs. We found Old Trees House on Tripadisor and after reading the reviews, we had to check it out. The reviews are spot on.

We stayed in a poolside bungalow. By far it was the most sophisticated asthetic I found in Thailand. Very clean and simple with a FANTASTIC bathroom. It was such a nice break from dribbling showers and holes to poop in. All of the bungalows have a mini fridge stocked with water, pepsi and beer (FOR FREE) and a tv with a dvd player. We didn't use the tv. The scenery was way too pretty to be bothered. If I were there a week though, I'm sure I would've taken advantage of Paulo's and Nid's dvd collection.
Our bungalow had a porch with comfy chairs and a separate covered spot to lay with a headrest. Oh, did I mention that there is an amazing pool (though too cold to swim while we were there).

The owner, Paulo, was incredibly friendly, as were the fellow guests. 7 other French visitors were the only other guests. Paulo took us all to dinner at a local Korean bbq where many of the locals frequent. We had a fun night with laughs and an interesting dining experience. Evidently, Paulo's wife, Nid, usually cooks but she was out of town for the night. There is a staff on hand to fill in during her time off. They prepared us a bite to eat when we arrived and a full breakfast the next morning.

The other guests went on day trips and tours with Paulo. He is supposed to be a well versed guide in the area.

Due to our limited stay we were unable to participate in any tours, but the staff took us to the top of a hill with the most breathtaking wat that I saw while on vacation. This place really blew my mind. But even better (hard to believe) is the view of the village and bordering Burma. I could've stayed there for hours.

Paulo and his staff were beyond accomodating. And I didn't feel like I was being pumped for money. Paulo and his wife are generous people that have created a wonderful place to stay -- a truly peaceful spot to enjoy.

Unfortanely, I was only able to stay one night here. I would actually come back to Thailand, in most part, just to come back to this spot. Pure heaven... Do yourself a favor and stay at Old Tree's House.

We chose to stay at Old Trees House, having travelled to Thailand many times before, as we wanted to see this area for the 1st time, and show our kids a relatively unspoilt part of the country.
We flew to Chiang Rai and next morning were picked up by Paulo's driver who drove us the 1.5 hours to Thaton.
Thaton is a small border town, but has several little places to eat (some with English menus), shops, ATM and small market. It also has a fascinating and unusual temple, and the surrounding countryside and hill tribe areas on the Myanmar border were fascinating.
The accommodation at Old Trees House is in a beautiful garden setting, with a lovely swimming pool, and simple but extremely well equipped bungalows. (very spacious, nice bathroom, TV, DVD, Stereo, WIFI, etc). Breakfast each morning was great and there was also a nice lounge area with DVDs, info etc.
You can take an interesting 5-10 minute walk down through the local village, school & temple into the main part of Thaton.
Paulo looked after us fantastically well throughout our stay, taking us on a tour through the hill tribe villages and to the school he has set up in a nearby village, and an amazing lunch on bamboo rafts - his time and friendliness were all the more amazing as his wife is currently in hospital in Chiang Mai - our thoughts are with you Paulo.
We loved Old Trees House, and the Thaton area, Paulo looked after us so well, and we would love to come back again.