Riverhouse The Teak House — An All-Teak House on the Yuam River in Mae Sariang
Mae Sariang is the kind of small town people drive straight through on the Mae Hong Son Loop without stopping. But when it comes to where to sleep here, the name northern-Thailand regulars reach for first is Riverhouse Hotel (The Teak House) — a three-storey teak house on the Yuam River that has been open since around 2000. The building and almost all of its furniture are made of teak, most rooms open onto a river-facing balcony, and the real draw is the timber deck over the water at dusk rather than any luxury facilities.
Riverhouse The Teak House is a three-storey teak building on Langpanich Road, right on the bank of the Yuam River in the centre of Mae Sariang. It opened around 2000 and was last renovated in 2024. The detail guests return to again and again is that the structure and the furniture are made almost entirely of teak — timber floors, timber walls, timber window shutters, all handmade. With just 12 rooms, the place feels closer to staying at a relative's house than at a hotel, and several reviewers note that you take your shoes off before going up, exactly like a homestay.
Rooms come as twins, queen doubles, and triples, and nearly every one has a small balcony facing the Yuam River. Inside you get air-conditioning, a TV, a fridge, and an en-suite bathroom with a hot shower, finished in teak with a few Lanna textile touches that keep it warm rather than stark. Guests agree the river view from the balcony at sunrise and sunset is the best part of staying here. One room (number 23) famously has a large tree growing up through its balcony — a spot guests photograph often.
One guest recalls: "Sitting on the timber balcony with a morning coffee, watching the mist lift off the Yuam River — it was so quiet they could hear the water moving. This is exactly why you come to Mae Sariang."
The part most people love most is the riverside timber deck that doubles as the restaurant and cafe. Teak tables line the deck, a hammock is slung under a tree, and the view runs across the Yuam River to the fields and hills on the far bank. Breakfast is ordered the night before — you choose between boiled rice with minced pork or an American set — and dinner at the on-site restaurant draws steady praise for the cooking. Inside the house there is a small teak bar with a snug feel, open for a drink in the evening.
The location makes wandering Mae Sariang easy. It's a two-minute walk to Wat Chong Soong and Wat Si Bun Rueang, and only a few steps further to the city pillar shrine and the Mae Sariang museum. The morning market is close enough to walk over for coffee and pa-tong-go. This is a sensible overnight stop for anyone driving the Mae Hong Son Loop who wants a quiet small town for a night before pushing on to Pai or Mae Hong Son town. The hotel also rents bicycles if you'd rather pedal around.
The score sits at 8.7/10 from 49 reviews on Trip.com (and it ranks #1 among small hotels in Mae Sariang on TripAdvisor). Cleanliness scores well at 9.1, as does service. The one thing to flag up front: a teak house does not hold sound well — timber floors and walls mean you hear people walking on the floor above and conversations in the next room fairly clearly. Some reviewers find the rooms a little dated, and there's no lift, so upper-floor rooms mean stairs. Light sleepers should go in knowing this.
On price, rooms start around ฿600/night for a standard, rising to roughly ฿1,300–1,500 for a river-view room in high season. Set against the teak-house-on-the-water atmosphere you're getting, that's strong value for a town this size. The cool season (November–January) brings the most Loop traffic, and the river-facing rooms book out first — reserve two to three weeks ahead if a river-view balcony is what you're after.
The bottom line: Riverhouse The Teak House suits travellers who love an old timber house by the water — quiet, informal, and not expecting a luxury hotel. The real selling point is the all-teak construction and the Yuam River balconies, not a pool or spa (there's no pool here). If you're driving the Mae Hong Son Loop and want one characterful night in a small town, this is the best Mae Sariang has — just choose your room carefully for noise.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Beautiful teak house with a warm, homestay-like feel
- ✓ River-view balconies catch the morning mist and sunset
- ✓ Friendly staff happy to suggest routes and day trips
- ✓ Central location — walk to the temples and morning market
- ! Timber house carries sound — you hear neighbours and the floor above
- ! Some rooms feel dated, fittings showing their age
- ! No lift — upper-floor rooms mean climbing stairs
- ✓ Handmade all-teak construction — increasingly hard to find
- ✓ Quiet Yuam riverside, a good midway stop on the Mae Hong Son Loop
- ✓ Riverside restaurant and cafe with a nice setting · bikes for rent
- ✓ Excellent value for a teak house by the river
- ! Thin timber walls let sound through — light sleepers should pick their room
- ! River-view rooms sell out fast in the cool season
- ! No swimming pool or on-site spa
- 💡If you're a light sleeper — ask for a top-floor room, or a corner room without neighbours on both sides → timber floors and walls carry footsteps from above and conversations next door fairly clearly
- 💡If you want the river view — specify a River View room when booking, as there are cheaper City View rooms that face the road instead → river-facing rooms book out first in the cool season
- 💡If mobility is a concern — the house is three timber storeys with no lift, so upper rooms mean stairs → request a ground-floor room at the time of booking to be safe