You can join tractor and trailer tours of the dam for a very cheap price. The commentary during the tour is only in Thai language but fortunately the tour price is the same for Thai people and foreigners. Really they should offer us a discount but it was so cheap anyway. It was a very windy trip across the dam. On the other side there is a giant seated Buddha image. I thought that was our destination but the tractor did a u-turn and took us straight back without stopping. There wasn’t really that much to see on the journey across so I am not sure whether it was really worth it. But, each trip was always full with Thai tourists. No foreigners here at all. Nearby there is a railway station, and it is possible to take a train ride across the lake. I haven’t done it yet but judging by satellite pictures the train crosses some of the longest bridges in Thailand. Instead of going around the lake, the train tracks go over the water for much of the way.