Pakmun Dam

Pak Mun Dam sits on the Mun River about 5.5 km west of Khong Chiam town, in Ubon Ratchathani province near where the Mun meets the Mekong. Built by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand with World Bank financing and completed in 1994, it’s a run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam — and one of the country’s most documented dam controversies, not just a scenic reservoir stop. Entry is free; the dam crest itself functions as a road bridge across the river.

It’s worth being straightforward about what this place is. Pak Mun Dam has been the subject of decades of research and protest because of its effect on the Mun River’s fish populations — a World Commission on Dams assessment found that of 265 fish species previously recorded in the river, at least 50 had disappeared and catches for local fishing communities fell by 60 to 80 percent after the dam was built. Villagers organised sustained protests over the following years, and in response the Thai cabinet has, since 2002, ordered the dam’s gates opened for roughly four months annually to let fish move upstream — a compromise that satisfies neither the power-generation case for the dam nor the full restoration case argued by affected communities.

None of that means there’s nothing to see. The dam crest carries a road across the river and gives you a straightforward view over the reservoir and the operational spillway. Local fishermen still work the water below in small boats — a visible reminder of the livelihood at the centre of the dispute — and a handful of simple food stalls near the site sell grilled fish and regional dishes.

Insider Tip: Don’t make this your only stop in the area. Khong Chiam town itself, a few kilometres east at the actual river confluence, is the more rewarding destination — it’s known locally as the “two-colour river” viewpoint, where the Mun’s darker water meets the lighter Mekong.

Watch out: This is a working piece of infrastructure, not a landscaped park — there’s minimal shade, no formal visitor centre, and facilities are limited to what the roadside stalls provide. Go for the context and the drive-by view, not expecting a polished tourist site.

If dams and water history interest you, Sirinthon Dam further south on the Lam Dom Noi River is a different, larger hydropower project worth comparing, and Kaeng Tana National Park nearby covers river rapids and forest without the same industrial backdrop.