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The Bridge over the River Kwai . . .

Visiting Kanchanburi & The Bridge On The River Kwai...

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The 13:45 train from Bangkok to Kanchanburi and Nam Tok crosses the Bridge over the River Kwai...Kanchanaburi, the Bridge over the River Kwai,

Hellfire Pass & the Burma-Siam 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 even three days as there's a lot to see.  Take the morning passenger train from  Bangkok to Kanchanaburi on day 1, the afternoon train back on day 2 or 3, and visit Hellfire Pass as well.  This page will give you train times from Bangkok and an overview of what to see, including the Bridge Over the River Kwai and the museum at Hellfire Pass...

Right:  The 13:45 train from Bangkok crosses the Bridge Over the River Kwai...

On this page...

Overview & things to see

The Bridge over the River Kwai

Hellfire Pass (Konyu Cutting) & Wampo Viaduct

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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The 13:00 from Nam Tok to Kanchanburi & Bangkok passes over the Wampo Viaduct along the River Kwai...Overview & things to see around Kanchanaburi...

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.  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.  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 several cafes, shops and small museums.  You can walk over the Bridge (trains permitting...) or cross it by train travelling from Kanchanaburi to 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.  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 beyond Nam Tok) or is Konyu Cutting, dubbed Hellfire Pass by Allied prisoners, where there is a museum.  A 7km stretch of the trackbed beyond Konyu Cutting has been cleared of jungle by the Australian government as a memorial.

You can walk across the Bridge on the River Kwai - but look out for trains..!The Bridge on the River Kwai...

There is a small technical problem with the Bridge over the River Kwai:  It doesn't actually cross 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 came flocking to see the bridge over the River Kwae, and they hadn't actually 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 (you can 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), and it is now surrounded on the Kan'buri side by a museum, cafes, shops and a couple of steam locomotives on static display.  You can walk across the bridge on the wooden planks, but remember to make way 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, both built by prisoners of war - A wooden bridge was completed in February 1943, superseded a few months later by the steel bridge which you see today.  The steel bridge spans were brought from Java by the Japanese, and are all original apart from the two straight-sided spans which were installed after the war to replace spans destroyed by allied bombing in 1945.

Konyu Cutting, nicknamed Hellfire Pass and now a memorial...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, it runs along the 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 £30, 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 13:00 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 to Compressor Cutting, 7 km from the visitor centre.  The walk through the jungle along the disused track-bed, 'The Railwayman' by Eric Lomax - buy online..!past small cuttings and 'The River Kwai Railway' by Clifford Kinvig - click to buy onlinedips where the wooden viaducts used to be, is a very moving experience.

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 experiences on the Death Railway.

You can buy them online at Amazon.co.uk

Bangkok to Kanchanaburi by train...

3rd class seats on the train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, River Kwai & Nam Tok...The best way to get to Kanchanaburi is by train using the Death Railway itself, for only 100 baht (£1 or $2).  There are two trains a day from Bangkok Thonburi station (also known as Bangkok Noi, on the East 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 (pictured, left), 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.  Video showing this train.

If you're coming from Singapore, Malaysia or Southern Thailand, you can travel direct to Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai Bridge without going into Bangkok - the trains from Penang, Hat Yai & Surat Thani 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 13:55
64 km Nakhon Pathom (connections from south) depart: - 08:53 14:54
133 km Kanchanaburi 06:07 10:25 16:19
138 km River Kwae Bridge: 06:13 10:55 16:26
210 km Nam Tok arrive: 08:25 12:20 18:30

River Kwai ► Kanchanaburi ► Bangkok

Train number: 260 258 486
Nam Tok depart: 05:20 12:50 15:15
River Kwae Bridge: 07:12 14:36 17:35
Kanchanaburi:  07:19 14:44 17:45
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 Railcar service at weekends...

In addition to these daily trains, there is also a special railcar (2nd class air-conditioned) for day trippers on Saturdays, Sundays & holidays.  It leaves Bangkok Hualamphong station at 06:30 for Kanchanaburi at 09:30, Nam Tok 11:35, returning from Nam Tok at 14:40 and Kanchanaburi at 17:04 arriving Bangkok 20:00.  Special fares apply, 200 baht air-con, 100 baht non-air-con, reservation required.  For information, see www.railway.co.th/English/Travel.asp (look for the Sai Yok Waterfall trip)


Lonely Planet Thailand - click to buy onlineRough Guide to Thailand - click to buy onlineRough Guide to Southeast Asia - click to buy onlineLonely Planet South-East Asia on a Shoestring - click to buy online

 

You should take a good guidebook. Easily the best guidebooks for independent travel are the Lonely Planets and Rough Guides.  Both have stacks of practical information plus historical and cultural background.  You won't regret buying one of these guides..!

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk

Or buy direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.


Travel insurance...

Get an online quote from both Direct Line & Columbus Direct...

Travel insurance is a boring subject, but it's a real necessity, so make sure you budget for it.  Make sure the cover is adequate - for example, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover, from a reliable insurer.  Remember that an annual multi-trip policy is often cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just two or three trips a year.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy after clicking these links.

  If you're a UK resident, try Direct Line whom I've used myself on many occasions, or Columbus Direct.

      If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct Australia.

  If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.


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