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In The Know
Did You Know?
( Highly Recommended )
The small town of Kanchanaburi is a delightful place, ironically with a worldwide reputation for the notorious 'bridge over the river Kwai'. During World War II, the invading Japanese forces decided to build a supply railway link across the difficult country between the Thai and Burmese rail systems. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to work under appalling conditions, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 16,000 Allied prisoners of war and 100,000 indentured Asians.
The original bridge was destroyed by Allied bombing during 1945 and only rebuilt after the war. Today little remains of the original railway to Myanmar (Burma), although trains can still run within Thailand as far as Nam Tok via the infamous 'Hellfire Pass'.
Most visitors to Kanchanaburi go to see the bridge and perhaps to pay their respects at the war cemeteries - the Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery in the north-central part of town, and the more distant Chung Kai Allied War Cemetery on the west bank of the Kwai River. Reaching this cemetery involves a short boat trip and a pleasant stroll through unspoilt rural Thailand. Both cemeteries are well cared for and contain the graves of thousands of Dutch, British, French, New Zealand and Australian soldiers.
'Kan' has good accommodation and a wide choice of restaurants. Like most Thai cities, it has a city pillar (the Lak Meuang) at its symbolic heart. Found near the post office, the pillar has a bulbous-shaped tip, sometimes likened to a lotus but generally accepted as phallic in origin, which devotees have covered in gold leaf.
One of the more unusual sights in Kanchanaburi, indeed in Thailand, is at Wat Tham Mongkon Thong, the 'Temple of the Cave of the Golden Dragon'. The temple itself is nothing special but is famed throughout Thailand for its 'floating nun'. This entails the unusual spectacle of a Thai mae chii or nun floating on her back while meditating in a pool of water. Pious Buddhists come to witness this act and to receive the nun's blessings.
Kanchanaburi is a rewarding destination at any time of the year, but the best time is in late November and early December when a series of son-et-lumières based around the restored bridge is held daily.
Address: 130km west of Bangkok
Restaurant: Mae Nam (Moderately priced)
Bus: Regular air-conditioned buses from Bangkok
Train: Kanchanaburi Station
Death Railway Bridge
Address: Thanon Mae Nam Kwai, KanchanaburiHours: Unrestricted
Bus: Songthaew
Accessible: None
Admission: Free
Practical: River Kwai Bridge Week, late Nov
Allied War Cemeteries
Address: Thanon Saengchuto, KanchanaburiHours: Unrestricted
Bus: Minibus No.2
Accessible: Good
Admission: Free
The floating nun
Address: Thanon Chukkadon, across Mae Klong River, KanchanaburiHours: Daily 7-6
Accessible: Few
Admission: Free (donation)
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