The alternate wetting and drying method (AWD) is an irrigation technique to reduce the use of water in paddy fields. The effect assessment of AWD method on plant growth, yield and water management in Thailand is still in preliminary stages, and few studies have been conducted in the region. The objective of this study is to determine whether AWD method may maintain grain yield with reduced water input compared to the conventional practice of continuous flooding (CF) in northern Thailand. The implementation of water management strategies under AWD method was tested in comparison with CF. The experiment was conducted during the dry season in 2016 and 2017 in fields growing the Phitsanulok-2 rice variety in Phitsanulok irrigation project. From the results, water input to paddy plots using AWD method was less than CF by approximately 27.20 % in 2016 and 18.20 % in 2017 during the dry season. The average water productivity of paddy was at 1.19 kg/m3 and 0.89 kg/m3 for AWD and CF methods, respectively. Therefore, the AWD method may be an appropriate strategy for rice cultivation and it is an effective way to reduce excessive use of water in agriculture. The methodologies used were also adequate to support irrigation management programmes for farmers.