This sleepy town sits on a large lake created by the Khao Laem Dam. There was once a Mon village here, but when the dam was built in 1983 it was almost completely covered by water. (Some parts, including a temple, are still visible beneath the surface.) The Mon people were relocated to a village on the shore opposite Sangklaburi.
Due to its proximity to Myanmar's border, Sangklaburi is also home to Karen and Bangladeshi communities, whose residents you'll spot in the town's small night market. Jungle trekking and visits to Karen villages are popular activities for visitors. You can also cross into Myanmar at Three Pagodas Pass with a passport photo and $10 (U.S. currency only—there's an exchange facility at the border), but you can't go any farther than the Myanmar border town of Phayathonzu.
