Kanchanaburi, Thailand

กาญจนบุรี (Kanchanaburi) is a province in western Thailand, known for its stunning natural beauty and rich historical sites.

It is known for the Death Railway, a notorious railway constructed during World War II by Allied prisoners of war and Asian labourers under brutal conditions.

My adventure to Kanchanaburi was over 2 days. I took a minibus from Mochit Bus Station (THB120) and the journey was about 2 hours 45 minutes.

Similar to Ayutthaya, when you arrive at the bus station, look for Kanchanaburi on the banner outside the terminal buildings to tell you which building you should go, to buy your ticket (THB120) and wait for the bus, in case the allocations have changed. When I was there, it was bus 9918 from building D. Buy your ticket and wait for the staff to call for passengers to board the bus.

The bus ride ended at Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal.

The places I visited included

• Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
• Death Railway Museum and Research Centre
• Wat Tham Sua
• Wat Tham Khao Noi
• Wat Ban Tham / Dragon Head Temple
• Bridge Over the River Kwai
• Hellfire Pass / Konyu
• Wang Pho Viaduct / Tham Krasae Railway Bridge

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, also known as the Don-Rak War Cemetery, is the main prisoner of war (POW) cemetery associated with victims of the Japanese imprisonment who worked on the Death Railway. It is the final resting place for nearly 7,000 of them, mainly from Australia, Netherlands and United Kingdom.

Death Railway Museum and Research Centre

Next to the cemetery is the Death Railway Museum and Research Centre (THB150).

It serves as an educational centre that provides detailed information about the construction of the railway, the harsh conditions faced by the labourers and the historical context of events.

After walking around, I booked a motorbike taxi (THB400) to take me for my mini temple run to 3 temples- Wat Tham Sua, Wat Tham Khao Noi and Wat Ban Tham. my main temple run thus far was when I was in Ayutthaya. Do read about it.

Wat Tham Sua

The temple is situated on top of a hill. There are options of railway (THB20) and stairs. I took the railway up and stairs down. 😬

The most magnificent feature is the 18 metres tall Buddha statue.

There is also a 69 metres tall pagoda where I climbed 8 floors to the top to enjoy the view of the Buddha status from the top, panoramic view of the surroundings and the Mae Klong River.

Wat Tham Khao Noi

The temple exhibits a unique blend of Chinese and Thai architectural styles, as seen in the ornate decorations, vibrant colors and intricate designs of the structures.

Similar to Wat Tum Seu, there is a pagoda where I climbed up to enjoy views of the surrounding area.

Wat Ban Tham / Dragon Head Temple

Wat Ban Tham, which translates to 'Cave House Temple', has its cave as the main attraction. You can access it by climbing a dragon staircase into its mouth. Upon reaching the top, you can reward yourself with breathtaking views of the surrounding and the Mae Klong River.

After my mini temple run, I requested for the motorbike taxi to drop me off at the bridge at River Kwai.

Bridge Over River Kwai

The bridge over River Kwai is part of the infamous Thailand-Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway. It was built by Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and Asian labourers under harsh and brutal conditions during World War II.

The original wooden bridge was destroyed during the war but was later rebuilt using steel. 

There are various timings when you can get up close and personal with the trains when they pass by the bridge: 0614, 0711, 0930 (weekend), 1042, 1438, 1632 and 1730 hours. It was so apt that I caught train number 486 when I was there. Do you know why? 😬

Hellfire Pass / Konyu

As I planned to do a day trip to Hellfire Pass before I head back to Bangkok, I took the first train, train number 485 (THB100) at 0607 hours from Kanchanaburi station to Nam Tok station.

It was an unexpected chilly morning at 17 degrees celsius but it was a nice walk to the train station.

There is a special tourist carriage on train number 257 which departs at 1035 hours. The ticket price is THB300 and includes a soft drink and certificate of pride.

The train would pass by the following stations/places so if you are a selfie buff, you can refer to the timings to plan your shots: 📷
0607H- Depart Kanchanaburi
0615H- River Kwai Bridge
0646H- Wang Yen
0705H- Ban Khao
0719H- Tha Kilen
0734H- Lum Sum
0737H- Saphan Thamkra Sae Cave
0749H- Wang Pho
0801H- Kho Maha MongKol
0820H- Arrive at Nam Tok

I arrived at Nam Tok station at about 0820 hours and upon arrival, there would be songthaew drivers who solicit for business to bring you to Hellfire Pass. I shared with another couple and paid THB200.

The ride was about 20 minutes.

Hellfire Pass is part of the Thailand-Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway, constructed during World War II by Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and Asian labourers where carving through rocks was done by hand using basic tools such as chisels, hammers and picks. The cutting was approximately 500 metres long and 26 metres deep at its highest point.

The name 'Hellfire Pass' was reportedly derived from the eerie sight of emaciated prisoners and labourers who struggled at night by torchlight and created a scene which resembled hell.

The Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum exhibits artefacts, photographs and personal stories of those involved while the walking trail follows the original railway path through Hellfire Pass where you could see the rock cutting and other remnants of the railway.

Wang Pho Viaduct / Tham Krasae Railway Bridge

The Wang Pho Viaduct is part of the infamous Death Railway and was constructed under brutal conditions during World War II by Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and Asian labourers.

It is a wooden trestle bridge that runs along the side of a steep cliff overlooking the Khwae Noi River.

If you are travelling from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok and would like to on the river side, take a left seat somewhere in the middle of the train.

I took train number 258 (THB100) from Nam Tok station at 1255 hours and after many stops, reached Thon Buri, Bangkok at about 1740 hours.

It was a short weekend trip but was a solemn and educational one.

There you have it, my adventure to Kanchanaburi.

Do have a read at my other adventures as well, as planning for an adventure iseasywith.me.