125 kilometers. That is what separates you in Bangkok from a living history lesson. Kanchanaburi is a small city in western Thailand. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, you will 100% recognize “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” David Lean’s great 1957 film of the same name made this place famous. Kanchanaburi was an Asian death camp for Australians and Americans—a place shrouded in the tragic history of prisoners of war.
Kanchanaburi was one of several stops during our exploration of the Land of Smiles. You can find the rest of our journey in Thailand with Kids.
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Kanchanaburi – The Town
The town itself isn’t particularly interesting. It is basically two parallel streets lined with souvenir shops on both sides. However, what we believe is truly worth seeing in the town is the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum. It is around the railway that the entire history of Kanchanaburi revolves.
It was here during World War II that the Japanese occupying Thailand (the King couldn’t quite decide which side he was on, but leaned more towards the Axis powers) came up with the idea to expand their military reach to the west—they wanted to take British India. To do this, however, they had to build a supply network. The shortest route ran through Thailand and Burma. The problem was that both countries are exceptionally mountainous. To build the railway line, the Japanese decided to use Prisoners of War (POWs) as well as cheap Burmese and Thai labor. Their tools? Hammers, pickaxes, dynamite, and their bare hands. The length of the route to be built: 415 km. The time: less than a year. In short, a nightmare environment and a nearly impossible goal.
The Death Railway became one of the most brutal and tragic symbols of wartime cruelty during WWII in East Asia. More than a hundred thousand people—POWs and forced laborers from Asia—died during its construction.
After the war, many Japanese commanders were tried for war crimes related to the construction of the railway, and the route itself was abandoned and replaced by new tracks.
The most recognizable and famous element in Kanchanaburi and this entire story is the Bridge on the River Kwai. A bridge that is still used by the Thai railway today. Paradoxically, it is now a somewhat “cheerful” tourist attraction. Firstly, you can take a journey through history, or you can wait to watch the train cross the bridge.
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Hellfire Pass: Interpretive Centre and Memorial Walking Trail
However, the place that reminds us in a very powerful way how Eurocentric our view of WWII can be is located 80 km away—Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre and Memorial Walking Trail, also known as Chong Khao Kad. This place shows the sheer scale of the railway construction and the effort people had to make to cut through the Thai mountains.
The exhibition in the Museum, as well as the walking trails around it (you can rent an audio guide—it’s worth it!), truly make a huge impression. You must go there, especially with children. The installations are prepared in a fantastic way, and the recorded fragments of history in the audio guide are very engaging. Our kids were interested and moved by the soldiers’ stories the entire time.
The entire Museum complex was funded by the Australian government. Thanks to this, admission is free.
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The Wooden Viaduct – Krasae Cave
This viaduct is, right after the bridge in the town itself, the second most recognizable spot for trips from Kanchanaburi. You can get there in three ways. First, you can take the train that runs on these famous tracks. Second, you can catch an organized tour from Kanchanaburi. Third, if you have your own four wheels, set your navigation to Thamkra Sae railway station and follow the people along the tracks.
This train is usually late, but you should aim to be there before 11:00 AM. In front of the viaduct, there are spots where you can stand safely at a close but secure distance from the train. Basia, however, didn’t want to believe the distance was safe and genuinely panicked, bursting into tears. It wasn’t even about her; she would start crying hysterically whenever one of us or her siblings stood on the tracks. We spent a good dozen minutes calming her down.
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Erawan National Park
While in Kanchanaburi, a “must-see” point—even if you don’t plan on staying in the city (you can take a tour from Bangkok)—is the Erawan National Park and its seven-tiered waterfall. But that story deserves a story of its own.
Stay with us for more!
