Kanchanaburi: Tours along the Death Railway

Kanchanaburi is a region that continues to attract visitors. It is a vast mountainous province, offering stunning landscapes, waterfalls, caves and of course, unique temples, all just less than three hours from Bangkok.

Kanchanaburi is also infamous for being the scene of terrible events that took place there during World War II, with the construction of the Siam-Burma railway, which has now become one of Kanchanaburi's major attractions.

And in this article, I suggest that we see together what visits to make to immerse ourselves in the history of Kanchanaburi, by going back to the Death Railway. A way to complete my article on the 6 Must-See Places in Kanchanaburi, where I then mentioned the possibility of surveying the railway line.

A Brief History of the Death Railway

The Bridge on the River Kwai is what made Kanchanaburi famous, becoming inseparable from the eponymous film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" by David Lean (1957), itself taken from the novel by the French writer, Pierre Boulle, who had stayed in Indochina and visited Kanchanaburi.

While the film is a fictionalized way of telling the story of these prisoners of war, it has helped to highlight the cruelty that was involved in the construction of this railway line. The term "Death Railway" is an obvious reference to the large number of people who lost their lives during the construction of this titanic project.

Let's put the context back in mind. The world conflict is raging and the Japanese are at war with the allies, which includes Great Britain, a foreign power present in Southeast Asia through its colonies, aka, Burma and Malaysia. Japan, inviting itself somewhat by force into Thailand, seeks to quickly bring troops and munitions to the border between Thailand and Burma to put pressure on Great Britain.

The engineers then proposed to branch off a train line from Bangkok, from the town of Ban Pong. The crazy idea was to go through the mountains and the jungle to Thanbyuzayat on the Burma side, where there was already a train line to Moulmein. A 414 km project that would cost the lives of more than 100 convicts.

The line of death.

The pace of work was so intense that construction, which began in June 1942, was completed in record time. Although the Japanese engineers had initially planned for a 3-year construction period, the line was put into service in October 1943, less than a year and a half after work began.

This was due in particular to the pressure from the advance of the Allies in the Pacific theatre of war. The days were extended, with prisoners working up to 18 hours a day without rest in the last months.

The stifling heat conditions led many of these convicts to die of disease, not to mention the lack of food and treatment for infections, weakening this workforce that was easily finished off on the spot by the Japanese if they slowed down. The toll was heavy. It is easy to guess the origin of the nickname of this nightmarish railway.

If we break down the figures a little, according to the documents, it is estimated that between 180 and 000 indigenous civilians participated in this forced labor. Most were Tamils ​​from Malaysia and Burmese, from areas controlled by the Japanese. There were also Javanese and Chinese, notably from Singapore.

Fewer Thais participated because of a non-aggression pact between the Thai government at the time and the Japanese empire, a way to save face since the country was well and truly occupied. Of this number, an estimated 90 died, or almost one in two people did not survive.

Graves at one of Kanchanaburi's military cemeteries, bearing witness to the carnage of that harsh era.

As for prisoners of war, their number is estimated at just over 60. Three-quarters were prisoners captured in the colonies of the European powers in Asia, English from the British Raj, and Dutch from the Dutch East India Company.

There were also 3 Australians and nearly a thousand Americans and Canadians. Estimates put the deaths at 000 to 13 prisoners, a mortality rate of 000%. If we do the ratio, that's 16 people who sacrificed their lives for every kilometer built.

The paradox of this whole story is that it all served almost no purpose... Quickly informed, the allies obviously bombed the line, and what's more, the prisoners of war had deliberately made poor work on the line to prevent it from being used optimally (by placing termite mounds near the wooden structures, for example).

However, they were able to transport 500 tons of freight before the line fell into the hands of the Allies. The end of the war came just 000 years later, sounding the death knell for Japanese ambitions.

The Thai authorities, who viewed this connection to their neighbour with suspicion, fearing in particular that it would be used by armed communist groups, closed the line in 1947 and a large part of the rails were simply dismantled.

It was not until 1958 that a section of the line reopened, between Bangkok and Nam Tok (130 km).

The Bridge on the River Kwai

And we come back to our famous bridge, built on the route of the line, at the level of the city of Kanchanaburi. The film focuses on the episode of the construction of this building, among the many other bridges and viaducts that were necessary to wind through the mountains.

With construction having started on both sides, the junction was made 40 km from the Three Pagodas Pass, going into Thailand. The Three Pagodas Pass is what marks the border between Thailand and Burma.

For the record, Pierre Boulle's novel is based on his memories of visiting the site. However, he visualized the bridge over the River Kwai, which is actually a tributary, with the real River Kwai, forming the Mae Klong River, whose confluence point is 4 km from the bridge.

At the time, the river under the bridge did not really have a name, but following the success of the film, highlighting this small town in the depths of Thailand, it was renamed the "Kwai Yai" river, the great river Kwai, which can also be translated as "great tributary" since Kwai simply means tributary in Thai.

As a result, the "original" river was renamed Kwaï Noï (the little river Kwaï) to avoid confusion. Moreover, since I am on this particular subject, in Thai, we find the Latin transcription in Kwae, which is closer to its true pronunciation. Indeed, by Frenchifying the term, it became "kouaille", while we pronounce kwé. A difference in pronunciation that is all the more significant since Kwaï pronounced in French can be interpreted as "buffalo", which is also an insult in Thai...

Another point to clarify about the film is that the latter depicts a wooden construction, while the bridge you are visiting today is made of concrete and metal. The reason being that there were originally two bridges at this location. One was temporary and indeed made of wood, built in parallel with the current bridge and completed a few months earlier in February 1943.

However, it is not blown up by prisoners like in the movie. The bridge was bombed by the Allies, cutting it in two in the middle. This is why the sleepers located there are different today! If you pay attention, you will notice that they have a rectangular shape, while the others, originally, are rounded. The destroyed section having been bombed, it was then rebuilt, financed by Japan itself.

The two bridges, just after the bombing of the central part of the current building that you can walk on.

The JEATH War Museum

[EDIT 2025: as a reader pointed out to me (thanks to him), the museum is looking for a buyer, while the latter is for sale, failing which, it will have to close its doors permanently by the end of this year…]

The wooden bridge I mentioned just above was located precisely at the level of the JEATH War Museum, located a stone's throw from the bridge. You can see some beams remaining at the foot of the museum.

This museum was opened in 1977, at the initiative of an abbot of a temple located a few kilometers downstream, the Wat Chai Chumphon Chana Songkhram. JEATH is an acronym that represents the main nationalities involved in the construction of the railway: Japanese, English, Australian, Thai and Holland.

The museum is unfortunately quite confusing in its configuration. There is an old locomotive at the entrance, some period vehicles, a collection of weapons, helmets and objects found along the construction, but it lacks a clear and translated explanation. And it all gathers a little dust, in an incomprehensible setting, mixing religious buildings and odds and ends from outside the relevant period.

It's a shame, because there is potential for an interesting museum and there are nice views of the bridge from its terraces. A museum with better press is the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre, located next to the war cemetery, not far from Kanchanaburi railway station.

Around the bridge

The bridge is now surrounded by cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops and jewellers, the Kanchanaburi region being also famous for its gemstone mines. All this contrasts with the dark past of the place. It has become an attraction also appreciated by Thais, because you can eat good fish on one of the many floating restaurants of the city. The setting is pretty and you can appreciate it as much above, by walking on the bridge, as below, by taking one of the boats which will be happy to take you for a ride on the river (count 800 bahts to do so).

As you cross the bridge, you can take pictures from the platforms, which are there to allow people to push each other when the train passes. If you look at the tracks, you will see the middle ones, with a narrower gauge, which were the original ones, while the train running today needs a more adequate gauge.

Across the bridge you can take a look at the Chinese temple, built on the banks of the river, while behind it lies the tomb of a Chinese soldier (where today a Taiwanese flag flies next to him).

Tomb of the Chinese soldier.

The Bridge on the River Kwai Festival

I would finally add that every year for two weeks, at the end of November - beginning of December, the bridge is in the spotlight with the Bridge on the River Kwai festival. There is then every evening a sound and light show depicting the history of the railway and the bridge and ending with a small fireworks display and an old locomotive (with a hell of a racket) passing over the bridge.

I was lucky enough to be in the area at that time and attend. Tickets can be purchased on site, there are 3 categories depending on the location of the stands, in my case, in the middle, it was 800 baht per seat I think.

The festival normally takes place every year from November 28 to December 8.

The performance scene during the Bridge on the River Kwai Festival.

Wat Tham Khao Pun

Let's continue the journey, just a few kilometers after the bridge. Located a stone's throw from the line, you have Wat Tham Khao Pun. Tham meaning cave, it is indeed one of the particularities of the site.

Entrance is not free, but see it as a donation for the functioning of the temple. The visit is done in the form of a route, you enter at one point and exit at another, knowing that the cave extends over about 200 meters. This type of cavity was typically used in the past by monks to practice meditation in a space conducive to calm.

As you enter the first room of the cave, you will see a series of Buddha statues, the main one lying down. For the rest, follow the red arrows indicated on the walls. You should not be claustrophobic, because the path becomes narrower, but also varies in height after a few meters.

You then go into this small mountain bordering the River Kwai (the real one) and will pass several rooms, each with their own particularity. We can mention the one with the crocodile-shaped rock or another, which offers a well of light towards the sky, allowing the roots of a weeping fig tree to descend into the cavity.

On the way out, you will have a small hut with photos relating to the construction of the railway line. I am not losing the thread of this article. In addition, as I mentioned, the line passes just below the temple. You will have a beautiful view of the river and the mountain opposite by going to the terrace of The curve @ Kanchanaburi, a nice café overlooking the line. If you wait for the train, you will see it rushing behind a rock wall dug into the hill, similar to that of the Hellfire Pass (see below).

My little secret touch? Go to the chedi under construction on a small hillock adjacent to the temple. The view is magnificent.

Prasat Muang Sing, Western Khmer Ruins

Let's leave the time of World War II for a moment and go back a long way, to a time when the kingdom of Sukhothai, the first Thai kingdom, did not even exist... It is the end of the 45th century and the once powerful kingdom of Angkor is collapsing. However, King Jayavarman VII seeks to consolidate its borders. Thus, Prasat Muang Sing is born and rises from the ground, XNUMX km west of Kanchanaburi. It is the most westerly Khmer temple known to date.

Muang Sing translates to the lion city, probably due to statues placed at the entrance of the city that gave it this name. The city was surrounded by a wall made of laterite blocks, still present today. It was a small border town, probably serving as a garrison to prevent invasions from neighboring Burma (the kingdom of Pagan).

Its main sanctuary, which can be visited today, is built in the so-called "Bayon" style in reference to the Angkor temple dating from the same period. It was dedicated, as was often the case at that time, to the Hindu god Shiva. The surface area of ​​the sanctuary represents 1/10th of the small city, which is to say its importance.

It is well preserved and consists of a gallery surrounding what remains of the central tower, a room that contained the statue of Avalokiteshvara (bodhisattva of compassion). If you will see a statue there today, it is a copy, the original being exhibited at the National Museum in Bangkok. At each cardinal point, there are gopuras, doors serving as entrances to the sanctuary. In front of the eastern entrance, there is the alley with terrace, which faces the entrance to the site of Muang Sing.

Of the other structures, only the foundations remain, including that of a secondary building next to the main sanctuary. The whole rests in a wooded, green and well-maintained environment.

If you are curious and go to the South of the site, you arrive at the edge of the River Kwai, where there is an ancient burial site. The latter attests to the human presence in the region from the Neolithic period (5 years ago). There are several in the region including several objects such as terracotta pots, axes, stone tools and other objects several thousand years old discovered are exhibited on another burial site, in Ban Kao.

Wang Pho and Tham Kra Sae Viaduct

The Wang Pho Viaduct, also spelled Wampo in simplified form, is one of the many bridges that once lined the Siam Burma Line. It is an entirely wooden bridge, attached to the cliff that adjoins the River Kwai passing at its feet.

Needless to say, it's all very photogenic and the highlight of the show if you take the train between Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok, the terminus of this line. If you go there on foot, you'll have more time to enjoy the place and can take a look at the Krasae cave (Tham meaning cave as a reminder).

On the Wang Pho viaduct.

The train arriving at the Wang Pho viaduct.

The view from Wang Pho viaduct.

Krasae Cave or "Tham Krasae" is a natural cave nestled in the cliff adjacent to the viaduct. Inside is a large seated Buddha image. During World War II, this cave was used to store materials for the construction of the Death Railway. It could also be used as a bomb shelter. The cave is located near Tham Krasae Station.

If you arrive from the Tham Krasae side, you will pass an area with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops, many selling indigo-dyed clothes. It is also possible to arrive and visit from the other side of the viaduct, near the hotel. Suansaiyok Resort.

You can then walk on the railway track for 500 m crossing the Krasae viaduct, being about 10 meters above the ground overlooking the River Kwai. Great experience, but be careful, not only is there no barrier, but I remind you that the train still passes there!

Tham Krasae Station.

Tham Krasae Cave.

The railway seen from Krasae Cave.

The souvenir shops.

Knowing that the latter obviously slows down when passing the area and that you have space to push yourself between two parts of the viaduct. Check the timetables, which I give you below.

Tham Krasae station is just before Wang Pho station, not to be confused with the name of the viaduct, and after Lum Sum station. The times are for information purposes only, if you want to see the train pass, allow at least 15 minutes before. I only give the times in the direction Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok, because it is visually more interesting.

Sai Yok Noi Waterfall

Sai Yok Noi can be translated as Little Sai Yok, as opposed to Sai Yok Yai, Big Sai Yok, which is part of Sai Yok National Park. In fact, Sak Yoi Noi Waterfall, although 36 km away from its "big" sister, is also under the responsibility of Sai Yok National Park.

This is a well-known waterfall among locals as it is directly accessible from the side of the road. It is a popular place on hot summer days (here in April, May) and on weekends for picnics and cooling off. The waterfall itself flows down a limestone cliff to a height of 15 m. The appearance of the cliff gives the impression of a collapse, which is why it is originally called "Khao Phang Waterfall".

Sai Yok Noi Waterfall on a busy day.

Although modern developments give the impression of "falseness", with these reservoirs implemented to allow for pools suitable for swimming, the waterfall is certainly natural.

It is also possible to climb up the cliff and follow the watercourse to its source. This involves a short walk past cornfields to the foot of a cave, from where the stream leading to the waterfall flows, some 600 metres further on.

In front of the waterfall, there are shops and restaurants, as is often the case in Thailand, you will never die of thirst and even less of hunger. On the side, just a few meters from the waterfall, you will see an old steam locomotive dating from the Second World War. It was not put there just for fun, but I recall the thread of this article: the death railway.

If I have doubts that the railway actually originally passed in front of the waterfall, what is certain is that nowadays, on weekends, it is at the small station just behind the locomotive that the tourist train that you may have come across goes. This is the real terminus of the line, beyond that, there are no more tracks. And otherwise, during the week, the train does indeed stop at Nam Tok (which means waterfall), the previous station, located about 2 km from the falls.

Hellfire Pass Interpretive Center

Formerly simply called the Hellfire Pass Museum, it is managed by the Australian government as a duty of remembrance, and therefore remains free. It has also just undergone a major facelift, hence the name change, with the addition of a large car park.

Also called Konyu Cutting by the Japanese, or Chong Khao Khat by the locals, the "Hellfire Pass", which can be translated as the infernal passage, is a nickname that was given by the prisoners. The latter had to dig the rock until very late at night, lit by oil lamps. When the flames reflected the shadow on the walls, it gave an effect of figures all the more ghostly as the bodies were emaciated, for lack of sufficient food, and that we must add to the visual the sound, a mixture of pickaxe blows, screams and explosives, all this gave an atmosphere worthy of the flames of hell.

The front of the museum (before renovation). Photo credit Franklin Heijnen (FlickR)

The Hellfire Pass Museum was opened on April 25, 1999 with the cooperation of the Australian government to compile information before its installation. The visit has two parts. The one in the building, air-conditioned and modern, including explanatory tables, objects found and used by the prisoners, reproduction of the railway structures and the train's route through the jungle. All this allows you to really understand the hell that was this construction, in more than rudimentary conditions. Some scenes are striking. We can see the description of the way in which the prisoners were punished and the living conditions in the camps. We look with sadness at these thin faces whose only clothing is a piece of fabric as a loincloth. In any case, that's how it was the last time, I haven't revisited the place since the renovation. I will update when the day comes.

Then you have the outside area. Which already, in the summer, translates into a very green mountain area, where trees and bamboo shoots intertwine. Stairs take you to the level of where the line once passed. This is highlighted by the presence of gravel, reminiscent of those that normally support the sleepers of the rails and the fact that everything is clear. There are two possible routes.

The descent into “hell”.

Short option

From the museum building, you can make a simple loop, walking about 500 m along the old line to the passage in question. There you will see a tree, growing straight in the middle of this section of hell. Looking at the walls, you can see the holes that were used to put sticks of dynamite. Flags and some photos of prisoners are also affixed there by the families of the disappeared.

You can then take a look at the cart left there above, which was used to dump the rubble down the hill. Then, you have to go back up another set of stairs. You will have a view of the Hellfire Pass and return to the new parking lot. A route of about 1 km, but as it climbs steeply, it is a minimum physical, especially with the possible humid heat of the forest surrounding you. And tell yourself that it is nothing compared to those who had to dig what you have just seen.

The railway passed through there…

The Hellfire Pass.

This loop can be done in a leisurely hour, you have the option of having audio guides (there are some in French), to better understand what is around you.

Long option

Just after the Pass, you will see flags, raised and lowered every day. The old railway track continues after this point. In total, the section has been cleared for a length of 7 km after Konyu Cutting and you currently have 4 km open to the public. This adds 1h30 to 2h to the walk. Knowing that if you follow the path, you must then return to the flags.

In doing so, it allows you to admire the surrounding landscape a little more, in particular by going to the viewpoint over the Kwae Noi valley, barely 300 m after the Hellfire Pass. Continuing further, you will arrive at another passage dug into the rock, Hintok Cutting. The walk can be extended to behind the hotel Hintok River Camp, nestled on the banks of the River Kwai.

The viewpoint over the Kwai Noi valley.

Two events punctuate the year at this location, and surprisingly, both are more related to World War I than World War II. First, on November 11th, the day of the First World War Armistice, there is a memorial service held at Hellfire Pass. A few months later, a ceremony is also held every April 25th.

This day marks the jANZAC Memorial Day ou ANZAC Day. It is basically a day that commemorates the bloody Battle of Gallipoli between the Australians and New Zealanders of ANZAC (the name given to the army corps composed of Australians and New Zealanders). By extension, it has become a national day of commemoration in Australia and New Zealand paying tribute to the dead of the two wars.

At Hellfire Pass, the ceremony concludes with red torches being lit along the length of Hellfire Pass, recreating an atmosphere reminiscent of its nickname, hellish.

Take the train on the death railway

To do this, there are two obvious portions to distinguish. One, between Bangkok and Kanchanaburi, which should be taken for a primarily practical purpose, to get to the region. In doing so, you can then quietly visit the other attractions at your own pace, on site.

The other portion is between Kanchanaburi and its terminus, Nam Tok. Which many people choose, because if you're going to take the train on this railway line, you might as well do it by crossing the legendary bridge and admiring the scenery. This allows you to have a privileged view of the river by passing the Wang Pho viaduct.

The train at the River Kwai Bridge station.

Nam Tok station, the terminus.

The highlight of the train ride.

There is one drawback, however. The train is slow. From Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok, it takes about 2h30 to travel only 60 km… So don’t be in a hurry, especially since you won’t have time to visit the other sites, unless you arrange transport in advance.

Bangkok – Kanchanaburi train fare and timetable

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