Life of the Salween highlights Southeast Asia’s dam concerns
To reach this village, you leave Mae Sariang in northwestern Thailand and drive a couple of hours along winding roads carved into the sides of valleys before reaching a landing on the wide, fast flowing Salween river. You take the steps down a muddy bank to a shack floating on a bamboo raft, where you board a long, narrow river boat piloted by Saing, an ethnic Shan from Myanmar. After casting off, he dips a propeller into the water and guns the unmuffled car engine attached, outboard style, to the end of a long drive shaft.
