Sights in Kanchanaburi Province
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Death Railway Bridge
This little railway bridge is not nearly as impressive in person as the dramatic story that made it famous. The materials for the bridge were brought from Java by the Imperial Japanese Army during its 1942-43 occupation of Thailand. The first version of the bridge, completed in February 1943, was all wood. In April of the same year a second bridge of steel was constructed.
In 1945 the bridge was bombed several times Allied planes and was only rebuilt after the war - the curved portions of the bridge are original.
The bridge spans Mae Nam Khwae Yai, which is 2.5km from the centre of Kanchanaburi. The most enjoyable way to get to the bridge from town is to rent a bicycle or …
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Wat Tham Seua & Wat Tham Khao Noi
These neighbouring hilltop monasteries are of interest due to their vastly different styles. Wat Tham Khao Noi (Little Hill Cave Monastery) has an intricately designed Chinese-style pagoda while next door the larger Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Monastery) has several styles of chedi and an 18m-tall Buddha covered in a golden mosaic. In front of the Buddha image a conveyor belt has small silver trays into which donations are made and then tipped into a central pot. You can walk to the top or take the easy option and go by cable car (10B).
The temples are around 14km south of the town centre. If coming by motorbike, take the right fork of the highway when you reach Tha Meuang, …
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Wat Tham Mangkon Thong
The 'Cave Temple of the Golden Dragon' has long been an attraction because of the 'floating nun' - a mâe chii (Thai Buddhist nun) who meditated while floating on her back in a pool of water. The original nun passed away, but a disciple continues the tradition - sort of. The current floating nun does not meditate but instead she strikes Buddha-like poses based upon traditional mudra (ritual hand movements). Shows do not have a set schedule but instead are timed for the arrival of tour groups.
Most Western visitors prefer to visit the temple cave instead of the swimming antics. A long, steep series of steps with dragon-sculpted handrails leads on up the craggy mountainside…
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Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno
One of Kanchanaburi’s more bizarre tourist destinations is Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno, known colloquially as the Tiger Temple. After gaining a reputation as a refuge for wounded animals, the temple received its first tiger cub in 1999 and has accumulated dozens more since. During visiting hours, the cats are led around a quarry and, for a hefty fee, will pose for photos with tourists. Although the efforts are undeniably the result of goodwill, there’s something disconcerting (not to mention surreal) about seeing monks leading full-grown tigers around on leashes and tourists posing for pictures (for extra money) with said huge cats lying in their laps. The tigers d…
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Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno
One of Kanchanaburi’s more bizarre tourist destinations is Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno, known colloquially as the Tiger Temple. After gaining a reputation as a refuge for wounded animals, the temple received its first tiger cub in 1999 and has accumulated 17 more since. During visiting hours, the cats are led around a quarry by the monks, and for a fee, will pose for photos with tourists. Although the efforts are undeniably the result of goodwill, there’s something disconcerting (not to mention surreal) about seeing monks leading full-grown tigers around on leashes and tourists posing for pictures (for extra money) with said huge cats lying in their laps. The tiger…
reviewed
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Jeath War Museum
This small museum resembles the bamboo-ata in which POWs were kept. Newspaper cuttings, letters and artwork line the sides of the long hut and offer harsh reminders of the brutal punishments meted out by Japanese troops. The archives focus heavily on surgeon Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop, who saved hundreds of lives by operating on injured soldiers and fighting to improve basic medical conditions. The museum is run by the monks of the adjacent Wat Chaichumphon (Wat Tai), which in itself is worth a visit. Jeath is an acronym of the countries involved in the railway: Japan, England, Australia/USA, Thailand and Holland. The war museum is at the west end of Th Wisuttharangsi (Vis…
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JEATH War Museum
The JEATH War Museum is arguably the pick of the memorials in Kanchanaburi and is a moving testament to war’s atrocities. The museum operates in the grounds of a local temple and has reconstructions of the bamboo huts used by the POWs as shelter. The long huts contain various photographs taken during the war, drawings and paintings by POWs, maps, weapons and other war memorabilia. The acronym JEATH represents the fated meeting of Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland at Kanchanaburi during WWII. The war museum is at the end of Th Wisuttharangsi (Visutrangsi), near the TAT office. The common Thai name for this museum is Phíphítháphan Songkhram Wát Tâi…
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Wat Tham Khao Pun
Continue past the Chung Kai Allied War Cemetery and go over a railway crossing to find this temple, which has a collection of nine different caves. The first, and biggest cave, is home to a reclining Buddha, while the others have some particularly unusual features, including a fig tree’s roots that hang all the way down into the cave, a crystallised column and a rock formation said to resemble a mermaid from the literature of Thai poet Sunthorn Phu. The exact origins of the temple are a mystery, though it is known that King Rama V visited here in 1870.
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Allied War Cemetery
Across the street from the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre is the Allied War Cemetery, which is immaculately maintained by the War Graves Commission. Of the 6982 POWs buried here, nearly half were British; the rest came mainly from Australia and the Netherlands. It is estimated that at least 100,000 people died while working on the railway, the majority being labourers from nearby Asian countries, though not one of these has an identifiable grave. If you are looking for the resting place of a loved one, a small office to the side has lists of names and their locations within the cemetery.
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JEATH War Museum
The simple JEATH War Museum operates in the grounds of a local temple and has reconstructions of the long bamboo huts used by the POWs as shelter. Inside are various photographs, drawings, maps, weapons, paintings by POWs and other war memorabilia. The acronym JEATH represents the ill-fated meeting of Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland at Kanchanaburi during WWII. The war museum is at the end of Th Wisuttharangsi (Visutrangsi). The common Thai name for this museum is pí·pí·tá·pan sŏng·krahm wát đâi (Wat Tai War Museum).
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Wat Tham Khao Pun
The limestone hills surrounding Kanchanaburi are famous for their temple caves, an underground communion of animistic spirit worship and traditional Buddhism. Winding arteries burrow into the guts of the caves past bulbous calcium deposits and altars for reclining or meditating Buddhas, surrounded by offerings from pilgrims. Wat Tham Khao Pun is one of the closest cave temples, and is best reached by bicycle. The temple is about 4km from the TAT office and 1km southwest of the Chung Kai cemetery across the railroad tracks and midway up the hill.
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Wat Tham Khao Pun
The limestone hills surrounding Kanchanaburi are famous for their temple caves, an underground communion of animistic spirit worship and traditional Buddhism. Winding arteries burrow into the guts of the caves past bulbous calcium deposits and altars for reclining or meditating Buddhas, surrounded by offerings from pilgrims. Wat Tham Khao Pun is one of the closest cave temples, and is best reached by bicycle. The temple is about 4km from the TAT office and 1km southwest of the Chung Kai cemetery across the railroad tracks and midway up the hill.
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Hellfire Pass Memorial
Viewing the bridge and museums doesn’t quite communicate the immense task of bending the landscape with human muscle. A better understanding comes from a visit to the Hellfire Pass Memorial, an Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce memorial dedicated to the POW labourers, 75km north of Kanchanaburi. A crew of 1000 prisoners worked for 12 weeks to cut a pass through the mountainous area dubbed Hellfire Pass. Nearly 70% of the crew died in the process. A memorial museum and walking trail remember their work and lives.
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Hellfire Pass Memorial
A better understanding comes from a visit to the excellent Hellfire Pass Memorial, an Australian–Thai Chamber of Commerce memorial and museum dedicated to the POW labourers, 75km north of Kanchanaburi. A crew of 1000 prisoners worked for 12 weeks to cut a pass through the mountainous area dubbed Hellfire Pass. Nearly 70% of them died in the process. An interactive museum is enhanced by several short films. Below the museum is a walking trail along the track itself and through Hellfire Pass.
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Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
The pick of the museums is the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, where interactive exhibits, short films and clear descriptions provide the context of the Japanese aggression in Southeast Asia, detail their plans for the railway and describe the horrors faced by those prisoners who worked and died constructing it. Give yourself a full hour to read through the museum, and stop for a coffee upstairs for sweeping views across the cemetery. Ex-POWs and their families get special treatment.
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Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery
The Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery is the final resting place of about 7000 prisoners who died while working on the railway. The cemetery is meticulously maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org), and the rows of headstones are identical except for the names and short epitaphs. It’s just around the corner from the riverside guesthouses, or you could catch a sǎwngthǎew anywhere along Th Saengchuto going north.
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WWII Museum
The WWII Museum beside the bridge has a picture-postcard view and an eclectic assortment of war and peace memorabilia, though you wouldn’t call it a must-see. The larger, more lavish of the two buildings contains Burmese-style alabaster Buddhas and a phrá khrêuang (sacred amulets) display. Upper floors exhibit Thai weaponry from the Ayuthaya period, ceramics and brightly painted portraits of all the kings in Thai history.
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Hellfire War Memorial
To truly understand the suffering that occurred along the Burma-Thailand Railway in WWII, a visit to this war memorial is imperative. Start at the museum on the top level, look out over the contemplation deck, then walk along the trail that runs alongside the original rail bed.
Near the start of the route is the infamous cutting known as Hellfire Pass (locally referred to as Konyu Cutting). The area earned its name following the three-month 'Speedo' construction period where shifts of 500 prisoners worked 16 to 18 hours a day. The glow from burning torches cast eerie shadows of the Japanese guards and of the gaunt prisoners' faces, so that the scene was said to resemble Da…
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Thailand-Burma Railway Centre Museum
This informative museum uses video footage, models and detailed display panels to explain Kanchanaburi's role in WWII. Nine galleries tell the story of the railway, how prisoners were treated and what happened after the line was completed. Upstairs is a display of wartime artefacts, including one POW's miniature chess set, and an excellent collection of related books. A poignant video from POW survivors ensures that the deaths remain a tragedy, not merely a statistic.
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Death Railway Bridge (Bridge Over the River Kwai)
The 300m railway bridge is an iconic symbol that represents the efforts of those who toiled to build a crossing here. It is also the biggest attraction in town, so side-step the numerous hawkers and walk, carefully, along the wooden and metal slats. The centre of the bridge was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945 so today only the outer curved spans are original. Once you make it to the other side there are cafes and greenery by the waterfront.
The first version of the bridge, completed in 1943, was wooden and was later replaced by a steel bridge. During the last week of November and first week of December a nightly sound-and-light show marks the Allied attack on the Death R…
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Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery
The Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery is the final resting place of about 7000 prisoners who died while working on the railway. The cemetery is meticulously maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the rows of headstones are identical except for the names and the short, moving epitaphs.
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Prasat Meuang Singh Historical Park
This historical park preserves the remains of a 13th-century Khmer outpost that may have been a relay point for trade along Mae Nam Khwae Noi. The restored ruins show a Bayon style of architecture and cover 73.6 hectares.
All the park's shrines are constructed of laterite bricks and are situated in a huge grassy compound surrounded by layers of laterite ramparts and city walls. Sections of the ramparts show seven additional layers of earthen walls, suggesting cosmological symbolism.
Meuang Singh, or City of the Lion, has two main monuments and two ruins where little more than the bases remain. The principal shrine Prasat Meuang Singh is in the centre and faces east (the car…
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Chaloem Ratanakosin National Park
This relatively small park has two main features: the caves of Tham Than Lot Noi and Tham Than Lot Yai. The former is fairly unremarkable but leads through to a pleasant 2.5km nature trail. At the end of the trail is Tham Than Lot Yai, an enormous cave with jagged stalactites.
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Si Nakharin National Park
The 1500-sq-km park is dominated by the Si Nakharin Reservoir. The seven-tiered Huay Mae Khamin waterfall, close to the park entrance, is regarded as one of Thailand’s most beautiful falls. Flowing from limestone mountains, its waters drop seven levels along a route stretching more than 2km.
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WWII Museum
One of the most eclectic and downright odd sites, this museum houses everything from wartime artefacts to paintings of former beauty queens.
The museum is divided into two buildings. Inside one is a display of Japanese wagons used to transport prisoners, old photographs and unconvincing waxwork POWs. Notes about the area's history are scrawled on the walls, but the translations sometimes go badly awry, with unfortunately comic results. One sign about the victims of an Allied bombing raid reads: 'the bodies lay higgledy-piggledy beneath the bridge'. Another says simply: 'England was pushed into the sea by Dunkirk'.
The larger building resembles a Chinese temple and is far mo…
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