Places of Interest - Thailand

Kanchanaburi is the capital of the province of Kanchanaburi and the district of Kanchanaburi. lies at the confluence of the rivers “Khwae Yai” and the “Khwae Noi”  that form together the “Mae Klong” River. King Rama I built here his first defensive line against the Burmese who used the nearby "Three Pagado Pass" to invade Thailand. Across the Khwae Yai River is the famous "bridge over the river Kwai" in the city that received world fame after the 1957 blockbuster film. The Japanese wanted to have a railway link between Burma and Thailand and so it was necessary to built a bridge during the Second World War. Many forced laborers died during construction, including many Dutch prisoners of war who had come over from Indonesia. Cemeteries, caves, tracks and museums show you all aspects of what the prisoners of war and Asian (forced) workers had to deal with On January 22, 2004. The city and the province are not only known for the "dead railway"; people who do not want to or not able to travel all the way to the north of Thailand can also enjoy the fantastic nature here. For example make a trekking in "Sai Yok" NP; waterfalls, elephant camps and temple caves can be visited and you can also enjoy the "Karaoke" dance and party boats on the river. 

"Tham Krasae" + "Wang Pho" viaduct:

At about 50 km northwest of Kanchanaburi lies the "Krasae" cave. Now filled with Buddha statues and other religious matters, it was used in WWII by the Japanese as a shelter and storage for supplies and weapons. In front of the cave and above the river the little "Kwai" you can still find original pieces of the famous dead railway line. You can walk quite a distance over the railway-viaduct, which gives you a beautiful view with the high cliff on one side and the small "Kwai" river on the other side.

The train station is located on the northern edge of the city center, centrally located near the international cemetery. Trains do not go to Bangkok very often, but it is comfortable to travel. On the south side of the elongated center (about 5 kilometers from the tourist centers and maybe 4 km from the cemetery) is the bus station. From the main road (Th Saengchuto) you can take a "songthiaw" from almost at the bridge to the bus station - cost 10 Baht. You can hop on and off everywhere.

Kanchanaburi - Sai Yok NP (2014): you have to take a bus to "Sangklhaburi" - these are about every hour from the bus station (platform 9, pay in the bus); there is certainly one at 8 o'clock and the journey takes about 2 hours. Costs 55 Baht.

Kanchanaburi - Hell Fire Pass (2014): see the above information - you only have to get off half an hour earlier. Costs 50 Baht.

Kanchanaburi - "Tham Krassae" (2014): see the above information - you only have to get off after an hour after departure at a reasonably large intersection (with the sign "Krassae cave") from here it is still 5 to 7 km drive the valley in to the cave, the station and the famous viaduct.

Kanchanaburi - Bangkok (2014): buses leave from the corner of the bus station and the main road in a room with a large (official) counter. Price 110 Baht, departure frequently but surely at 08:00. Duration about 2.5 hours. Arrival at "Sai Tai Mai" (south) bus station in Bangkok.

• Name: "JEATH" war museum

Address: Th. Wissuttharangsi, Kanchanaburi

Price: 50 Baht (2014)

Time: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm

Content:

This museum located on the river "Kwai" in the center of Kanchanaburi consists of three sections. Located on the grounds of a Buddha temple, you can see a large area map on the small courtyard with the railway “stops” (stations), camps etc. of the train. Section 1 consists of a U-shaped counterfeit prisoner of war hut of reeds. Where once the prisoners sat there is now some series of impressive photographs and drawings to see made by the prisoners. Section 2 is a room with large glass cases full of things from WWII; helmets, field bottles, weapons, samourai swords and bombs and grenades. Here you can also watch a short (9 minutes) film of the famous bridge. In section 3, the last piece newspaper clippings are kept of old prisoners who tell their story.

• Name: "Hell Fire Pass" memorial museum

Address: 80 km west of Kanchanaburi

Price: Free (2014)

Time: 09:00 - 16:00

Website: www.dva.gov.au/commem/oawg/thailand.htm

Content:

This museum is located about 80 km west of "Kanchanaburi" at about 500 meters. from the big "323" road. At the same height is the super modern warmuseum with a panorama, photos, films and a lot of information about the construction of the infamous dead railway line from Thailand to Burma (now Myanmar). Through a long wooden staircase going down you arrive at the former train-rail bed which is now a gravel path. By means of information panels you are informed until you are walking into the famous narrow path with rocks on both sides where many memorials, photographs and red roses are to see. On the other side another memorial, a Japanese train cart and possibilities to view the "gap" from above. Here begins the 4 km long hike over the bed of the former rails towards "Hinton".

At the tourist center section in Kanchanaburi (Th Mae Nam Kwhae) there are plenty of restaurants, bars and cafes where you can get everything - pizza, macaroni, noodle soup, Chinese food and of course rice. Here are also supermarkets - the only thing I have not (yet) seen is a big snack chain like KFC, McDonalds or BurgerKing. At "KTC" you can get a good meal for 50 to 60 Baht, but the staff is not really customer friendly.

• Name: "Sugarcane II" hostel (2014)

Address: 7 Soi Cambodia, Maenamkwai Road

Price: 200 Baht (single)

Phone nr. : 034 514 988

Website: www.sugarcaneguesthouse.com

Content:

The hostel is located about a kilometer before the famous bridge at the end of a very busy tourist street ("Th. Mae Nam Kwhae"); here begins the quiet part. It’s quite a bit of a walk from here to the cemetery and "songthiaw" do not come here. The restaurant is located on the riverside and you can get excellent and reasonably priced food and drinks. There are possibilities to sleep on the water in a houseboat but have no idea what the prices are. The whole looks nicely cared for and there is a large courtyard where cars and scooters can park. Plants, greenery, gravel and a row of well-kept bungalows; mine had its own shower and toilet (cold shower because otherwise it is more expensive). There is a fan, good WIFI, people speak a little English and "tours" turn out to be offered but this is still in its infancy. I got a discount because I stayed 3 nights. Big disadvantage I found that there is mosquito netting in front of the window but no glass so you really hear everything. And I would have liked to receive a towel, maybe a piece of soap.

TOURS “Kanchanaburi”:

Numerous "tours" are offered in and around Kanchanaburi which differ in price from 130 Baht (for a taxi ride only to the bridge) to a multi-day trek for more than 1000 Baht that will take you to all the important sections of the railway and nature beauties. Options are everywhere and these are all offered by numerous travel agencies and hostels. The first

real tour you can get from 800 Baht and often goes to the "Erawan" NP, Sai Yok waterfall and of course the death trail sites (see above).

KANCHANABURI tour (done in 1997, price in 2014):

• PRICE: 500 Baht (2014)
• INCL. : transport (train, minibus), lunch, mineral water;
• EXCL. : entrance fee museum (JEATH), soft drink.

CONTENT:

07:00 - 07:30 picked up at the door hostel in Bangkok

8:00 departure to Kanchanaburi with AC minibus

09:30 arrival in Kanchanaburi

09:30 - 10:00 international cemetery

10:00 - 10:30 to museum "JEATH"

10:30 - 11:00 see the bridge over the river Kwai and you can walk over it

11:00 - to the train station

11:45 - 13:00 in the train over the dead track line

13:00 - Thai lunch on raft in the river "Kwai"

14:00 - 17:00 driving back to Bangkok

PAY ATTENTION:

• Tiger temple: 600 Baht entrance (2014)
• Sai Yok NP: 200 BAht entrance (2014)