Sirikit Dam Guest House (EGAT) — stay inside the dam grounds and wake to a quiet reservoir view
If you want to wake up and stroll through leafy dam gardens with a vast reservoir and a mountain backdrop, the Sirikit Dam Guest House, run by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), lets you stay right inside the dam grounds — something no hotel in the city can match. It's no luxury hotel; it's a simple state-run guest house, but it's clean, quiet and great value for anyone visiting the dam or wanting to rest close to nature. From approx. THB 700/night.
Sirikit Dam is Thailand's largest earth-fill dam, holding back the Nan River in Tha Pla district. Inside its grounds, EGAT opens guest houses to visitors — this is what sets it apart entirely from hotels in the town of Uttaradit. You actually sleep within the dam grounds, waking to walk along the reservoir, cycle through the gardens, or drive up to the viewpoints on the dam crest, all without travelling far.
There's a range of houses to choose from, from terraced rooms for a couple or small family to standalone houses and Nan-riverside cabins that sleep larger groups. Rooms are simple, in the style of a state guest house — not lavishly furnished, but most reviews praise them as clean, with cold, effective air-con and Wi-Fi. Rates start around THB 600–700 for a basic room and rise into the low thousands for the larger houses and the riverside cabins, which have the better views.
"Basic but very clean, good air-con and Wi-Fi. The beds and pillows are quite hard, but for around 750 baht a night it's perfect. Reception is very helpful too."
What guests mention most often is the quiet and the natural setting inside the dam grounds. The gardens and paths are kept clean and tidy, with mature shade trees, and an evening walk along the reservoir at sunset is genuinely lovely. Nights are properly quiet — no traffic or bars like in town — making it ideal for anyone who wants to sleep soundly and switch off from the bustle.
For food, there's a restaurant inside the dam grounds that reviews call good and inexpensive, especially the fish dishes from the reservoir, which are fresh and tasty. But understand that there's almost nothing else to eat nearby — if the on-site restaurant is closed in the evening, you'll have to drive into Tha Pla town, which takes a while. Plan your meals a little in advance before you arrive.
To be honest, the Sirikit Dam Guest House is not for travellers who want hotel-style comfort and convenience. The dam sits roughly 50–60 km from the town of Uttaradit, so you really need your own car as public transport doesn't reach it easily. Most bookings are made by phoning the dam office directly, not by clicking a button online like a normal hotel. But if the point of your trip is to visit the dam, take a boat across the reservoir, or rest close to nature in real quiet, this price and this setting are hard to replicate elsewhere.
A tip from reading the reviews: if you're coming as a group or family, ask about the standalone houses or the Nan-riverside cabins, which have more open water views and far more space than the standard terraced rooms. Guests aged 60 and over often get a discount on the room rate, so do ask when you book.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Setting inside the dam grounds with reservoir and mountain views, very quiet
- ✓ Clean rooms with cold air-con and Wi-Fi
- ✓ Very affordable, great value for a dam visit
- ✓ Helpful, friendly reception
- ! Simple guest-house rooms with fairly hard beds
- ! Far from town — you really need your own car
- ! Few places to eat nearby; plan meals ahead
- ✓ A natural setting inside the dam grounds that's hard to find anywhere else
- ✓ Gardens and paths kept clean and tidy, easy to stroll
- ✓ Good on-site restaurant with fresh, inexpensive reservoir fish
- ✓ Well suited to families and groups wanting to stay close to nature
- ! Bookings are by phone to the dam office, less convenient than online
- ! Basic in-room amenities, no hotel-style services
- ! Busy on long weekends — book ahead
- 💡If you don't have your own car — the dam is 50–60 km from Uttaradit town and public transport barely reaches it → a hotel in town is far more convenient if you're travelling by bus.
- 💡If you expect hotel-style amenities and service — this is a simple guest house with hard beds and no 24-hour service → a 3-star hotel in town will suit you better.
- 💡If you're coming on a long weekend or holiday — the houses are limited and the dam is a popular trip → always phone the dam office to book before you set off.