Kanchanaburi
A stroll along this city centre street offers a glimpse of a bygone Kanchanaburi. Many buildings date to the 1920s and '30s and their Sino-Portuguese, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese styles have been preserved; faded yellow signs reveal the history, architecture and present owners of about 20 of them. WWII buffs should include this on their pilgrimage because some of the structures are connected to the construction of the Death Railway.
The walk begins at the restored City Gate.
2.15 MILES
Constructed by POW labour, this 300m-long bridge is heavy with the history of the Thailand–Burma Railway. Its centre was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945…
0.78 MILES
This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers…
4.85 MILES
In the countryside around Kanchanaburi, cave temples are almost as common as convenience stores are inside the city, but this is one of the most…
0.69 MILES
Immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this is the larger of Kanchanaburi's two war cemeteries, and is right in town. Of the…
19.1 MILES
The ruins of 'Lion City', the westernmost-known Khmer outpost, are spread around a 102-hectare compound girded by 4.5km of walls. Serving most likely as…
6.95 MILES
The centrepiece of this hilltop temple is a striking 18m-high Buddha covered in golden mosaic. One of the merit-making ceremonies for devotees is to place…
25.03 MILES
Tham Krasae (Krasae Cave) was used by the Japanese while building this difficult stretch of the Death Railway. The wooden trestle bridge they ordered the…
2.24 MILES
The nearest cave temple to Kanchanaburi town is a fun labyrinth of illuminated passageways. The marked trail is a bit of a squeeze in some places (and can…
0.12 MILES
This restored original city gate (built 1831) is a remnant of Kanchanaburi's once mighty defensive walls, which linked six fortresses. Just behind it is a…
0.14 MILES
Behind the City Gate stands this small, gold-trimmed shrine for Kanchanburi city's guardian spirit.
0.37 MILES
This sizeable temple in Kanchanaburi is worth a wander to admire its grand, bell-shaped stupa near the river and various Thai-style shrines. In particular…
0.38 MILES
This small museum, opened in 1977, mostly focuses on the terrible ordeals of the POWs who built the Death Railway. Their harsh living conditions are shown…
0.47 MILES
Next to the JEATH War Museum, this temple has some interesting statues and shrines, including one fashioned from a WWII-era boat dredged out of the river.
0.6 MILES
In contrast to the manicured uniformity of the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery next to it, this Chinese cemetery is somewhat overgrown but contains some large…
0.69 MILES
Immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this is the larger of Kanchanaburi's two war cemeteries, and is right in town. Of the…
8. Thailand–Burma Railway Centre
0.78 MILES
This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers…