A short walkway along the west bank of the Yuam River is the closest Mae Sariang has to a promenade. In the early morning monks cross the footbridge from the eastern bank on their alms round, and small wooden boats nose out from the bank for the run upstream.
The riverside guesthouses have terrace cafes that face the water — a good spot for a coffee at sunrise or a beer after the heat. Across the river the rice paddies and bamboo groves give a sense of how little has changed beyond the small town itself.