The real Bridge on the River Kwai - how to visit by train

Visiting Kanchanaburi, the Bridge over the River Kwai, Hellfire Pass & the Death Railway...

For anyone interested in 20th century history, a visit to Kanchanaburi on the infamous Burma-Siam 'death railway', is a must. You can see Kanchanaburi as a tourist day trip from Bangkok, but it's much better to go independently and spend two or three days as there's a lot more to see than just the Bridge. Take the morning passenger train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi on day 1, stay a night or two in Kan'buri, then take the afternoon train back on day 2 or 3, so you can visit Hellfire Pass (less well known than the Bridge, but not be missed) and travel the Death Railway through fantastic scenery as far as its current terminus at Nam Tok. This page aims to give you train information for travel between Bangkok, Kanchanburi, River Kwae Bridge & Nam Tok, plus a good overview of what there is to see, including the Bridge Over the River Kwai and the museum at Hellfire Pass...

Above: The 13:45 passenger train from Bangkok crosses the Bridge Over the River Kwai. Yes, it's still used by trains!

On this page...

Overview & things to see

The Bridge over the River Kwai

Hellfire Pass (Konyu Cutting) & Wampo Viaduct

Suggested itineraries

Train times & fares Bangkok to Kanchanaburi & Nam Tok

On other pages...

Train travel in Thailand including Bangkok-Singapore

Train travel in Malaysia including Singapore-Bangkok

Train travel in Vietnam including Hanoi-Beijing

Travel in Cambodia including Bangkok-Phnom Penh-Saigon

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Overview & things to see around Kanchanaburi...

Above: The Bridge Over the River Kwai, seen from the southern (Kanchanaburi) end. You can walk over the bridge, even though it's still used by 3 trains each way each day.

Above: Another view of the infamous Bridge, from the southern (Kanchanaburi) bank. The curved spans are original from 1943, the two straight spans replaced spans damaged by US bombing in 1945...

Above: A Nam Tok to Kanchanaburi & Bangkok passenger train passing over the wooden Wampo Viaduct along the River Kwae. The scenery is fabulous...

Above: Konyu Cutting, aka Hellfire Pass...

Above: The view across the Kwai valley from the pleasant 7km walk along the old death railway track bed from Hellfire Pass to Compressor Cutting...

Passenger trains of the State Railways of Thailand still run over part of the Burma-Siam 'death railway', with two daily trains from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to Kanchanaburi and over the River Kwai Bridge to the line's current terminus at Nam Tok, see the timetable below. There's a third daily train between Kanchanaburi, River Kwae Bridge & Nam Tok. The line was built by the Japanese during world war 2, using forced Thai labour for the section from Nakon Pathom (the junction with the Bangkok-Singapore mainline) to Kanchanaburi, and Allied prisoners of war from Kanchanaburi onwards to Burma. Completed in 1943, the line was intended to supply the Japanese war effort in Burma without the dangers of transporting supplies by sea. Things to see include:

Kanchanaburi - the area's main town, with Allied war cemeteries. The best way to reach Kanchanaburi is to use the Death Railway itself, taking one of the two daily trains from Bangkok's Thonburi station. Train times & fares.

The Bridge Over the River Kwai - the bridge still exists, and is still used by passenger trains. The Bridge is 5km beyond Kanchanaburi, and has its own station at the southern end of the bridge, surrounded by cafes, shops and small museums. You can walk over the Bridge (trains permitting) or cross it by train when travelling between Kanchanaburi & Nam Tok.

Wampo viaduct (pictured above right) - also built by prisoners of war, and also still in use by regular passenger trains. The best way to see it is to take a train from Kanchanaburi or River Kwae Bridge station to Nam Tok. See video of train on this section.

Hellfire Pass - Beyond Nam Tok, the line onwards to the Three Pagodas Pass into Burma is closed and the track lifted. 80km (50 miles) beyond Kanchanaburi (approximately 10km or 6 miles beyond Nam Tok) is Konyu Cutting, dubbed Hellfire Pass by Allied prisoners. Here there is a museum, and a 7km stretch of the trackbed beyond Konyu Cutting has been cleared of jungle by the Australian government as a memorial. You can walk the length of this section if you like.

The Bridge on the River Kwai...

There is a small technical problem with the Bridge over the River Kwai: It crosses a river all right, but not the River Kwai! Pierre Boulle, who wrote the original book, had never been there. He knew that the 'death railway' ran parallel to the River Kwae for many miles, and assumed that it was the Kwae which it crossed just North of Kanchanaburi. He was wrong - It actually crosses the Mae Khlung. When David Lean's blockbuster came out, the Thais faced something of a problem. Thousands of tourists flocked to see the bridge over the River Kwae, and they hadn't got one, all they had was a bridge over the Mae Khlung. So, with admirable lateral thinking, they renamed the river. The Mae Khlung is now the Kwae Yai ('Big Kwae') for several miles north of the confluence with the Kwae Noi ('Little Kwae'), including the bit under the bridge.

The Bridge is about 5 km from the centre of Kanchanaburi. By all means wait for one of the three daily passenger trains, all of which call at the River Kwae Bridge station, but it's best to take a cycle rickshaw. The Bridge is now surrounded on the Kan'buri side by a museum, cafes, shops and a couple of steam locomotives on static display. You're free to walk across the bridge on the wooden planks, but remember to stand aside for the passenger trains when one comes along. If this sounds foolhardy, remember that there is a 10 km/h speed restriction for trains across the bridge, and they all hoot like mad!

There were actually two bridges here, both built by prisoners of war - The first (wooden) bridge was completed in February 1943, superseded a few months later by the steel bridge which you see today. The curved steel bridge spans are original, and were brought from Java by the Japanese. However, the two straight-sided spans come from Japan, and were installed after the war to replace spans destroyed by allied bombing in 1945.

Hellfire Pass & Wampo Viaduct...

Make sure you ride the train between Kanchanaburi (or River Kwae Bridge station) and the current terminus at Nam Tok - As well as crossing the famous Bridge, the train runs along the beautifully scenic River Kwae, passing over the equally impressive Wampo Viaduct, also built by prisoners of war. Another must-see is Hellfire Pass, about 80km (50 miles) north of Kanchanaburi, on the disused section beyond Nam Tok. Here, the Australian government has cleared about 7km of the old track-bed as a memorial to the 13,000 allied prisoners and 80,000 Asian labourers who died building the railway. The site includes the Hellfire Pass itself (Konyu Cutting, dubbed 'Hellfire Pass' by the PoWs for the way the worksite looked at night by torchlight, and pictured here). A taxi and driver for half-day from Kanchanaburi will cost about £35, and you can ask the driver to drop you at Nam Tok on the way back, to return to Kan'buri or Bangkok by the 12:50 or 15:15 train. There are one-day organised tours from Kan'buri, but these typically get only 30 minutes at Hellfire Pass, only enough to see the pass itself. If you go independently, you can walk all the way past the locations of 'Three Tier Bridge' & the 'Pack of Cards' bridge to Compressor Cutting, 7 km northwest of the visitor centre. The peaceful walk through the warm shady jungle along the disused track-bed, past small cuttings and dips where the wooden viaducts used to be, is a very moving experience.

Suggested itineraries...

You could spend weeks exploring this beautiful area, but most people have limited time so here are idea on how to incorporate Kanchanaburi & the Bridge on the River Kwai into your trip to Thailand.

As a day trip from Bangkok... If all you can spare is one day, you can see the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai as a day trip out of Bangkok for just 200 baht (£3 or $4), using the morning passenger train from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to River Kwae Bridge station and returning on the afternoon train. The trains run daily, with enough time to see and walk across the Bridge, and perhaps take a cycle rickshaw to the war graveyard in central Kanchanaburi and boarding your return train there. See the timetable below. You won't get to see Hellfire pass this way, or travel along the Kwai Bridge to Nam Tok section of line, although you could choose to travel Bangkok-Nam Tok and back instead of spending time at Kan'buri. That way you'd cross the Bridge on board a train, and see the line & scenery all the way to Nam Tok.

Railcar day trip from Bangkok at weekends... On Saturdays, Sundays & Thai national holidays, there's a tourist railcar service there and back from Bangkok's main Hualamphong station. It allows time for you to see and walk across the Bridge, then travel across the Bridge by train and along the scenic line via the Wampo Viaduct to Nam Tok before returning to Bangkok with a visit to the Kanchanaburi war graveyard on the way. A good option if you've only a day to spare and can arrange to go on a Saturday or Sunday. Tourist railcar information, fares & timetable. Though you won't get to see Hellfire pass on this trip.

2-day trip from Bangkok... The area really warrants at least a 2-day trip, so you can get to Hellfire Pass as well as Kanchanaburi. On day 1, catch the morning train from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to Kanchanaburi for 100 baht (£1.50 or $2), find a hotel and order a taxi to Hellfire Pass (about £35 or $45 hire for a half day). On the return journey from Hellfire Pass, get the taxi to drop you at Nam Tok station in time for the 15:15 passenger train along the scenic Kwae Noi river, over the Wampo Viaduct and across the Bridge back to Kan'buri. Day 2, explore Kanchanaburi & the Bridge area, then take the lunchtime train back to Bangkok .See the train timetable below.

3-day trip from Bangkok... Less rushed than the 2-day version! On day 1, you could catch the morning or afternoon train from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to Kanchanaburi for 100 baht. Day 2, take a taxi to Hellfire pass (£35 or $45 for half day hire), then on the return get the taxi to drop you at Nam Tok station and take the afternoon passenger train along the scenic Kwae Noi river, along the Wampo Viaduct and over the Bridge back to Kan'buri. Day 3, take the morning or lunchtime train back to Bangkok.

Read more about the Death Railway, Hellfire Pass & the Bridge on the River Kwai...

To learn more about the history of the Burma-Siam Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai, 'River Kwai Railway' by Clifford Kinvig is highly recommended. If you haven't read it already, Eric Lomax's 'The Railwayman' is amazing, the true story of his experience on the Death Railway.

You can buy them online at Amazon.co.uk

Bangkok to Kanchanaburi by train...

Above: Kanchanaburi station, with the morning train from Bangkok just arrived...

Above: The train is 3rd class only, but actually very clean and pleasant, sitting next to an open window as you clickety-clack along...

Travelling to Kanchanaburi on the Death Railway itself...

The best way to get to Kanchanaburi is by train using the Death Railway itself, for only 100 baht (£1.50 or $2). There are two trains a day from Bangkok Thonburi station (also known as Bangkok Noi, on the West side of the river in Bangkok) to Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok, calling at River Kwai Bridge station on the Bangkok side of the Bridge a few minutes after Kanchanaburi.

The trains are 3rd class only, but don't let this put you off as they are clean and comfortable. In fact, sitting next to an open window whilst clickety-clacking through the Thai countryside is easily the most pleasant way to reach Kanchanaburi. See short video showing this train.

If you're coming from Singapore, Malaysia or Southern Thailand, you can travel direct to Kanchanaburi & the River Kwai Bridge without going all the way into Bangkok. The trains from Penang, Hat Yai & Surat Thani all stop at Nakhon Pathom 64 km south of Bangkok, where the branch line to Kanchanaburi leaves the main line. See the Thailand page or Malaysia page for train times between Nakon Pathom and Hua Hin, Hat Yai, Penang, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore. Map of train routes in Southeast Asia.

Bangkok ► Kanchanaburi ► River Kwai

km:
Train number:
485 257 259

0 Bangkok (Thonburi / Noi station) depart: - 07:45 13:35

64 km Nakhon Pathom (connections from south) depart: - 09:03 14:55

133 km Kanchanaburi 05:57 10:50 16:19

138 km River Kwae Bridge: 06:13 10:55 16:26

210 km Nam Tok arrive: 08:20 12:35 18:30

River Kwai ► Kanchanaburi ► Bangkok

Train number: 260 258 486

Nam Tok depart: 05:20 12:55 15:15

River Kwae Bridge: 07:12 14:36 17:35

Kanchanaburi: 07:19 14:44 17:41

Nakhon Pathom (for trains to South) arrive: 08:50 16:23 -

Bangkok (Thonburi / Noi station) arrive: 10:10 17:35 -

Fares

Bangkok - Kanchanaburi: 100 baht (£1.50 or $2)
No reservation required - just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.

Special tourist railcar service on Saturdays, Sundays & holidays...

In addition to these regular daily passenger trains, there is a special tourist railcar for day trippers on Saturdays, Sundays & holidays. It has 2nd class air-conditioned & 3rd class non-air-con. The itinerary looks like this (please check exact times locally):

06.30 depart Bangkok Hualamphong station.

09.29 arrive Kanchanaburi, very short stop.

09.35 arrive River Kwai Bridge station & stop for 25 minutes.

10.00 depart River Kwai Bridge station, cross the Bridge & head along the River Kwae via the impressive Wampo Viaduct.

11.25 arrive Nam Tok station.

11:30 arrive Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi. This is the only train to run beyond Nam Tok to the end of the operational line. Time to see the scenic waterfall.

14:00 leave Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi.

14.25 leave Nam Tok station heading back south.

15.53 arrive at Kanchanaburi station and stop for 60 minutes for a visit to the war graves.

16.53 leave Kanchanaburi.

19.25 arrive back in Bangkok Hualamphong station.

The round trip fare is 200 baht 2nd class air-con, 120 baht 3rd class non-air-con, reservation required before departure although it's reported that in practice you can just get on and pay on the train. For information, see www.railway.co.th/English/Travel.asp (look for the Sai Yok Waterfall trip). If you've limited time, this might be a good option, though you won't get to see Hellfire Pass & its museum.