Kanchanaburi is about 2 hours out of Bangkok. Most famous for
the “Bridge on the River Kwai”, Kanchanaburi offers some great train trips.
They are cheap ($3 for a 6-hour trip) and take you across the famous bridge, and
along the Kanchanburi River.
In addition to the beautiful scenery along with river,
and the great (and cheap) food on the train, you can visit the outdoor
train museum and climb on some ancient trains.
For a bit of history on Kanchanaburi, per Wikipedia, “In 1942 Kanchanaburi was under
Japanese control. It was here that Asian forced labourers and Allied POWs, building the
infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge; an event immortalised in the film
Bridge on the River Kwai. Almost half of the prisoners working on the project died
from disease, maltreatment and accidents.”
At Kanchanaburi, there is a memorial and two museums to commemorate the dead.
In March 2003, the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum opened and the
JEATH War Museum dedicated to the bridge and the Death Railway. The city is also
home to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
Near Kanchanaburi, about 3 km from Wat Tham Phu Wa is the Chong Kai allies cemetery.” 1
It is definitely a place worth visiting, very educational and interesting. Consider a reservation
at Thai-West Resort.
1: see Wikipedia for more on this amazing destination.
