Maeti Basin

Maeti Basin is a reservoir dammed across the Mae Thi stream in Ban Doi Wiang village, Ban Thi district, Lamphun — one of the late King Bhumibol’s royal development projects, completed in 1985. The king himself presided over the opening ceremony on 6 February that year. It’s free to visit, open roughly 06:00-18:00 daily, and sees far more Thai day-trippers than foreign tourists.

The dam itself is modest in scale: 8 metres wide, a 437-metre embankment, 26.5 metres high, with a roughly 470-metre crest. It holds around 4.5 million cubic metres of water and irrigates about 4,000 rai of farmland in the surrounding valley — practical infrastructure first, tourist attraction second. That said, the setting works in its favour: forested hills ring the water on most sides, and the reservoir surface reflects the mountains cleanly on a still morning.

Insider Tip: Fishing is the main local pastime here — bring your own gear, since there’s no rental stall, and expect to share the bank with Lamphun families out for the day rather than other travellers.

A trail from the reservoir leads about 5 km to Huai Hok Waterfall, a seven-tier cascade that’s one of the better-known natural sights in this part of Lamphun, though the walk is long enough that it’s really a separate half-day trip rather than an add-on. After dark, the lack of light pollution around the basin makes it a reasonable stargazing spot, and fireflies show up along the tree line on humid nights in the rainy season.

Watch out: Facilities are minimal — no restaurant, limited shade, and mobile signal can be patchy. Bring water and sun protection, especially if you’re planning the walk to the waterfall.

To get there from Lamphun town, take Highway 106 toward Ban Thi district for about 20 km, then turn onto Route 1147 and continue roughly 10 km to the reservoir. For more information, contact the Lamphun Office of Tourism and Sports (0 5356 1430 / 0 5356 0997). Nearby Phra That Doi Hang Bat and Phrathat Doi Wiang Temple, both in the same Ban Thi district, make reasonable stops on the way back toward town.