<p>This paper analyzed river meander and evolution based on geomorphic parameters coupled with the utility of subsurface images from the upper Yom River Basin (YRB), Phrae Province, Northern Thailand. Yom River (YR) is the main channel flowing from the north to the south throughout a narrow intermontane basin where severe flooding occurs frequently after storms and typhoons. Drought is a common and problematic consequence. Proper resilience and management for flood and drought in YRB are urgently required. In this study, a 70-year period of temporal and spatial geomorphic analyses of YR was interpreted from aerial photographs taken in 1954, 1970, 1989 and a series of satellite images from 2010 to 2024 together with electrical resistivity imaging (ERI). Geomorphic parameters were analyzed from recent and remnants of river landforms. Paleo-channels, oxbow lakes, and meandered scars revealed the relationship with channel migration in limited floodplain width. The meandered belt in the north and middle reaches of the upper YRB is characterized by a flat, the wider floodplain and more remnant cut-offs than the south. From 1954 to 2011, the width (W) underwent regular alterations due to a marked increased river bank deposition. A notable decreasing value of channel’s length (L) and sinuosity index (SI) were relatively caused by the frequent cut-offs at the neck and chute during floods. The southern reach exhibited active bending as evidenced by migration rates versus Rc/W values of which lower Rc/W values corresponded to slower rates of bend migration. Several tropical storms in 2011 resulted in some river bends to cut off after the mega-flooding.</p> Graphical Abstract <p>The graphical abstract provides a visual summary of the decadal analysis in river meandering within a narrow intermontane basin from northern Thailand. This work reveals the history of river dynamics in terms of meander evolution and subsurface sedimentary architectures from the upper Yom River (YR). In this study, a 70-year period of temporal and spatial geomorphic analyses of YR was interpreted from aerial photographs taken in 1954, 1970, 1989 and a series of satellite images from 2010 to 2024. The geomorphic correction was carried out using ArcGIS. Electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) was conducted to illustrate subsurface sediment bodies. As a result, the meander process represents key controls on natural rate of channel migration, flood frequency and long-term floodplain morphodynamics indicated by meandered traces. Paleo-channels and meandered scars are recommended to store flood water with appropriate depth of reservoir for water usage during the drought. The understanding of the decadal meander geometry of the YR in this study is an example for many areas in the intermontane basins of Southeast Asian countries for the management strategy of hydrological resilience.</p> <p></p>