Bagan Serai is a mukim or district subdivision in Kerian, Perak. The main activity here is agriculture, be it the various paddy fields and palm oil plantations, or the processing plants for the produce. Malay, Chinese and Indians populate the area, with many of the Malays originating from Indonesia and having their own dialect.

Bagan Serai is traversed by several main routes. Federal Route 1, or Jalan Bagan Serai-Parit Buntar and Jalan Taiping-Bagan Serai, connects it with Parit Buntar and other areas in the northern state of Pulau Pinang (and further north, Kedah and Perlis), as well as other areas in southern Perak. On the other hand, there is also Federal Route 75 (or Jalan Bagan Serai-Kuala Kurau and Jalan Alor Pongsu-Bagan Serai-Jalan Makhamah) going from the west to the northeast of Bagan Serai.

Getting to the North-South Expressway (NSE) is easy too, as the Alor Pongsu toll plaza is less than 20 minutes away. The railway line running through western Peninsular Malaysia also has a station in Bagan Serai, about 3km from the town centre.

While the town centre might not be as busy or expansive as, say, Taiping or Ipoh, it does offer ample facilities. Among them are schools like SK Jalan Matang Buluh, SK Bagan Serai, SMK Bagan Serai, SMK Alang Iskandar and SJK (C) Tong Wah, banks, clinics, markets, petrol stations and a mini stadium where carnivals and sports events are held.

As of now, Bagan Serai is relatively peaceful compared to other bigger towns in Perak like Taiping or the university town of Kampar. Other than in the town centre, residential developments in Bagan Serai are located along the main roads, and mostly consist of kampungs or villages, and tamans or parks, such as Taman Mewah, Kampung Yassin, Taman Seri Intan, Taman Seri Siakap and Taman Serai Permai. There is also an affordable PR1MA Homes development in Bagan Serai, where Malaysians from lower-income classes can have an opportunity to buy their own property.

About 20 minutes, or 15km away from the Bagan Serai town centre, around a bend in the Sungai Kurau river, is Kuala Kurau, connected by the aptly named Jalan Bagan Serai-Kuala Kurau. Here, at least 2 other bank branches can be found, as well as eateries, shops, schools and several homestays.