Mae Kuang Dam: A Peaceful Sunrise Boat Ride Near Chiang Mai

Pornwadee Bhacharoensuk
Feb 7
4 min read

If you’re looking for a quiet place close to nature, Mae Kuang Udomthara Dam, or simply Mae Kuang Dam, is a beautiful spot to visit in Chiang Mai. The dam is located in Doi Saket District and is built to block the Mae Kuang River. It can store around 263 million cubic meters of water, making it the second-largest dam in Chiang Mai.

Things to Do at Mae Kuang Dam

1. Walk along the dam

You can walk on the top of the dam and enjoy wide views of the water and the mountains. The scenery is so beautiful. I saw a few locals came here to walk, jog, or walk their dogs.

The air was fresh, and the atmosphere was quiet, making it perfect for a slow and peaceful start to the day.

2. Walk across the bridge

Mae Kuang Suspension Bridge is not only useful for local people to travel, but it also offers a very nice view of the river and the surrounding nature. It’s a great spot for photos and a relaxing walk.

3. Boat trip around the dam

One of the highlights here is taking a boat ride around the dam. The trip takes about 45 minutes. If you come early in the morning, especially at sunrise, the view is very beautiful. During the cold season, you might even see a light white mist floating over the water.

Boat price:

Around 300–800 THB
Depends on the size of the boat and the duration of the trip

4. Fishing

There are also boats available for fishing. You can rent a boat to go fishing, but I don’t think this activity is for me. I do like eating fish, but I don’t want to see them being caught.

5. Have lunch by the water

There are a few small restaurants near the dam, such as Uncle Charoen Pier’s Restaurant and Auntie Am Pai Restaurant, where you can have lunch with a nice view of the water. However, I arrived very early in the morning, and nothing was open yet, so I don’t know if the food there is good or not. Haha.

How to Get There

Location: Mae Kuang Udomthara Dam, Chiang Mai
Travel time: About 40–50 minutes by car from Chiang Mai city
No public transportation available.

(https://maps.app.goo.gl/yN86bucnBz2SA9t18?g_st=ic)

My Experience at Mae Kuang Dam

I left home at 5:30 a.m. because I had booked the boat one day in advance to watch the sunrise at 6:30. Normally, you don’t need to book, but since I was going very early, it wouldn’t be open if I didn’t book it first.

The boat I took was called Tai Nueng. It's the large one, which cost 500 baht, and the ride took about 45 minutes.

The pier is just past ป้าอําไพ (Auntie Am Pai Restaurant).

If you’re not sure where it is, you can look for the big tree near the water at the pier.

I saw four or five fishing boats nearby, so if you enjoy fishing, you can come here for that too.

During the boat ride, there were two local dogs that joined me.

They live around the area.

It was quite cold, and they were shivering.

They looked a bit pitiful at first, but when I watched them play, they seemed happy.

I’m not sure if they were a mother and her puppy, since one was big and the other was small and they looked similar.

The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful. There was no one else around, just the sound of water, mountains, and fresh morning air. I really loved this place.

Without the sound of the boat, it would have felt even more peaceful.

I watched the sky slowly change from darkness to pink, then orange, and finally into soft golden light. The reflection on the water was beautiful.

The beauty of those changing colors felt like happiness.

It never lasts forever, but tomorrow always brings another chance to feel it again.

The sky was starting to get bright, but I could still see the moon. It was almost full. I really love looking up at the sky. It brings me a sense of peace.

Along the way, I saw a bridge, known as Mae Kuang Bridge or Mae Kuang Suspension Bridge.

When we reached the bridge, the boat took me back.

The bridge was not far from the pier, only about two or three minutes away.

It kind of felt like something you’d see in South Korea.

There were love locks hanging on the bridge, left by couples, but many of them were rusty.

I guess people used to come here when it was popular at first, but now it didn’t seem very famous because there were hardly any people around.

This bridge wasn’t just for pedestrians. Cars and motorbikes could cross the bridge too.

From the bridge, I could see the top of the dam.

I went there for a short walk before heading back.

From there, I’d say it was the best viewpoint because you could see both sides.

On the side with the bridge, there were beautiful layers of mountains.

On the other side, you could see the waterworks and the mountains weren’t as pretty.

But since the sunlight was coming from that side, it actually looked better.

I really liked this place, but there was one downside, the roadside was covered with trash, and I even saw some boats full of garbage. If people here helped keep the place clean, it would look so much better.

Mae Kuang Dam is not a crowded tourist spot, but if you love nature, quiet places, and beautiful mornings, it’s definitely worth a visit.

However, watching the sunrise here gave me a simple but important reminder:

If something truly matters to us, we will always find time for it.

I slept late the night before, but I still woke up early to see the sunrise because I really wanted to. Life is the same. If someone is truly important to us, we will make time for them, no matter how busy or tired we are.