Rainy season, safety and preparation
Jul – Oct
Water's edge — Slippery; no swimming
1–2 hours
Good
6 days ahead
When to go
this week
Tap a day card to see that day’s weather, rain, haze and hourly forecast
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–16:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–14:00 Little rain · light drizzle possible at times
Thick morning fog with visibility under 1 km — use headlights and drive slowly
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Best window 06:00–13:00 Little rain
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day · light drizzle possible at times
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Best time to go Fine all day little rain through the day
No warnings today — normal road and weather conditions
Hour by hour
Green band = hours used for the score
Starry sky
How likely
Scored from cloud cover at every level and tonight’s moonlight — the darker the sky, the clearer the Milky Way · tap another night below for the next 7 nights
Muak Lek Reservoir
Muak Lek Reservoir royal-initiative project, Kham Phran, Wang Muang, Saraburi
- Morning light, cycling
- Hot, no shade
- Sunset over the reservoir
Arrive 17:30
- Dam crestSunsetEvening
- U-shaped roadBlack-and-white postsMorning
- Hill viewpointThe whole reservoirEvening
Gallery
Photos from Wikimedia Commons and contributors · full credits inClassic page
Good to know here
Slippery; no swimming
Windy; no cars
- Come 16:30–18:30 for sunset
- Bring a hat and water
- Bring your own bike
Adults 0 THB · Time needed 1–2 hours
Weekend evenings
- Kids Yes; watch them near the water
- Seniors Yes; parking close to viewpoints
- Wheelchair The crest road is smooth; the hill viewpoint is not
- Pets No rule found; nearby cafes are pet-friendly
- The Item Cafe SaraburiDrinks truck by the reservoir, weekends and holidays
- The NeighborhoodCafe in a campground on Huai Muak Lek
- Muak Lek town eateriesPork-blood soup and made-to-order dishes
- Park in designated spots
- No swimming
- No litter in the reservoir
- No swimming — a raw-water source with no lifeguards
- Steep embankment and strong wind
- No driving on the crest (2023 rule)
- Little shade; mosquitoes at dusk
Best months
Tap a month on the wheel to see weather, rain, haze and crowds from 10 years of records
Best time · Sep–Dec for full water and green hills · Nov–Feb is comfortable · 06:00–08:00 and 16:00–18:30
Watch out · Midday — no shade on the crest
21°Jan
22°Feb
25°Mar
26°Apr
26°May
25°Jun
25°Jul
25°Aug
24°Sep
24°Oct
23°Nov
21°Dec
Oct by the records 24–30°C · avg rain 182 mm (19 rainy days) · clear 3 days · avg PM2.5 12
The story of this place
Muak Lek Reservoir, officially the Muak Lek Reservoir royal-initiative project, is run by the Royal Irrigation Department through the Saraburi Irrigation Project. It dams Huai (Khlong) Muak Lek, a 71 km tributary of the Pa Sak River. Despite the name, the dam crest and viewpoint are in Kham Phran, Wang Muang district.
Read more 4 more paragraphs
The project stems from King Rama IX's initiative to solve farm and household water shortages in the Huai Muak Lek basin. Construction by the Large-Scale Irrigation Construction Office 2 began in 2012. An inspection on 20 March 2018 found the dam complete and partly filling, and the project was completed in 2017 (some sources say canal works ran to 2020).
The earth dam is 43.50 m high, 1,156.70 m long and 9 m wide at the crest, holding 61 million m³. It irrigates about 25,500 rai and can supplement about 14,000 rai of the Kaeng Khoi–Ban Mo pumping project in the dry season. It also supplies about 202,000 m³ of raw water a year for tap water and helps reduce flooding in the Pa Sak and Chao Phraya basins.
The crest used to open only for marathons and cycling events. On 10 October 2023 it opened to the public for walking and photos at 06:00–08:00 and 16:00–18:30, with no cars allowed on top. It is now popular with cyclists and sunset-watchers, with a U-shaped road lined with black-and-white kilometre posts and a hill on the left bank overlooking the whole reservoir.
In 2025 cafes and food trucks began opening nearby on holidays. Nearby communities include the Ban Dong Nam Cha mushroom group and a small water-play area below the dam. As a raw-water source, the reservoir is closed to swimming and has no lifeguards.
- 2012Dam construction begins
- 2017Project completed
- 20 Mar 2018Inspection: dam partly filling
- 10 Oct 2023Crest opens to the public
- 2025Cafes and food trucks open nearby
Check-ins & visitor photos
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How to get there
Two-lane paved road
Mittraphap Rd at Muak Lek · Fuel
From Muak Lek or Wang Muang
Mittraphap Rd at Muak Lek, or from Wang Muang
Designated parking and roadside near the dam
Muak Lek or Wang Muang
Good
About 06:00–18:00 (sources differ)
around 25 km fromMuak Lek
Muak Lek Reservoir
0 THB
Stays near Muak Lek Reservoir
Approx. nightly price for 2 adults (next week) · final price depends on your dates
FAQ
Before you goMuak Lek Reservoir
Answers travellers want before they go — a one-minute read
Where is Muak Lek Reservoir
The dam crest and viewpoint are in Kham Phran, Wang Muang, Saraburi, though it is named after Huai Muak Lek
Is there a fee
No; parking is free too
What are the hours
When opened in 2023, walking on the crest was 06:00–08:00 and 16:00–18:30; many sources now say about 06:00–18:00
Can I drive on the dam
Not when it opened; park and walk or cycle
How big is it
Earth dam 43.5 m high, about 1,157 m long, holding 61 million m³
Can I swim
No
Ready to go to Muak Lek Reservoir?
Best day this week: Wednesday 28 Oct · Check in when you arrive to collect a stamp