Kanchanaburi and the Bridge over the river Kwai. (Kanchanaburi)

Member Name: garymarsh6

Product:	Kanchanaburi
Date:	20/12/08 (313 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Poignant and moving sites in memory of those who died during the Japanese occupation.

Disadvantages: The oppressive heat

Where:

Kanchanaburi town is situated in Kanchanaburi province in the West of Thailand approximately 150 Kms from Bangkok. The population of Kanchanaburi town is about 750,000. Two rivers, the River Kwai Noi and the River Kwai Yai merge into one which is not actually called the River Kwai but is actually the River Maeklong through the town of Kanchanaburi.

The term River Kwai was immortalised in the novel 'Bridge over the river Kwai' by French writer Pierre Boulle and followed later by the 1957 film starring Sir Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and William Holden so this is how the name Bridge over the rive Kwai was coined. Although some of it is factually incorrect there are aspects of it that are true.

The town was founded in the 18th Century as a defence to protect the Thais against Burma and is still used as a smuggling route. Of more recent world fame of Kanchanaburi is its notorious railway built during the Second World War during the Japanese occupation of Thailand when over 100,000 prisoners of war and local people lost their lives during its construction. It was a particularly difficult feat due to the inhospitable terrain. Mountains, including the Three Pagoda pass, inhospitable jungle and one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the railway lines construction was the river Maeklong.

The prisoners of war many of whom were in their teens were starving and lived on meagre rations of rice and water. The heat and humidity was unbearable. They had to cut their way through the jungles then dig by hand a pass through the solid mountains, laying the track as they went.

Many died on the spot from shear exhaustion, malnutrition, malaria, dysentry and various other tropical diseases. The Japanese were brutal and punished the prisoners of war in unimaginable ways. If they became too ill to work they were dispatched to meet their maker which was a happy release to the unimaginable suffering they were enduring. To protect the bridge the Japanese forced the men to stand on the bridge during air raids and many lives were lost this way. The officers often hindered the progress of the construction of the bridge by sabotaging it which prolonged its construction.


How to get there:

Bus

There are regular air conditioned mini buses that ferry tourists from the southern bus terminal in Bangkok. They run approximately every 30 minutes and cost about 95 Bhat which is about £1.50. The journey takes approximately 2 hours.

Alternatively you can go on an organised tour and the mini bus will pick you up from the foyer of your hotel and drop you back at the end of the day. Usually these tours take in another attraction en route such as the floating market or Buddhist temples and a buffet lunch in a local restaurant.
Don't book it through your hotel you will pay exorbitant rates instead go to one of the local travel agencies who will organise it for you. The cost of an organised tour is roughly £20.

Train:

There is a local train 3rd class (Yes it does exist) which is not recommended with wooden benches, no windows, no fan or aircon and locals with their chickens etc and takes hours to get there however it does touch on some of the original railway line built by the POW's. Again it is very cheap costs approximately £2.


Taxi.

The most expensive way but the quickest way is by taxi costing approximately 3000 Baht (£60). It only takes about an hour and a half.

We booked our own trip through a local travel agent which cost approximately £20 and included a stop at the floating market en route and another stop for lunch on a river pontoon. Unfortunately there was a group of American travellers sitting behind us on the bus and one girl in particular was the biggest bore walking on this earth. All she nagged on about was the auditor general and all numbers are are statistics and statistics are just numbers blah di blah even her friends must have been fed up with her..... the only escape from her constant wittering whining voice was to fall asleep......guess what half an hour later when I woke up she was still on about the bloody Auditor general... GRRRR. I made it quite obvious to her that she was not wanted anywhere near us. GRRR.


What to see:


The Bridge over the river Kwai.

The actual bridge is still there however it is now supported by concrete buttresses. It is a magnificent sight straddling the river. Beside the Bridge on the town side there are a couple of restaurants over looking the river and bridge. There are some souvenir shops and locals selling various things. There is a small modern tourist train that goes across the bridge but the best way of seeing the bridge is to walk across it yourself. It is safe to do so and there are some safe areas to get into when the train passes.

The cemetries.

There are two major cemeteries. Don Rak War Cemetery is in the town centre opposite the railway station. 6982 British Australian and Dutch prisoners were buried here.
The second Cemetery is called the Chonk Kai War cemetery which is about a mile outside Kanchuraburi on the banks of the River. Here there are 1,740 POW's buried including 1,379 British soldiers.

It is very sad to see row after row of headstones in memory of so many young men some in their teens 17, 18 19 years old. Most were in their 20's and some in their 30's I didn't see many above 40, 50. It is very thought provoking and a reminder of how wicked and evil and pointless the human race can be to invoke such inhumane treatment on fellow human beings. I was particularly moved at the cemetery and as it was Christmas Day thought it was appropriate to lay a small wreath on behalf of those unable to do so themselves from the UK.

Two war museums.

The JEATH war museum.

JEATH is an acronym for Japanese England Australian Thailand and Holland and is run by a monk. There are various artifacts and photos of conditions during the occupation.

The bridge museum is a private museum built nearer the bridge and houses various artifacts and an old Japanese steam train. This museum is constantly being added to. There is not a lot to see here but it is a poignant reminder of how those poor men were treated.


Shopping and eating

There are various shops and restaurants in the town catering for locals and tourists alike. There is a night market near the station which sells all kinds of gear imaginable and certainly much cheaper than in Bangkok. Haggling over the price is expected and the norm.

Surrounding area.

The Kao Pun Wat and the cave about 5KMs from Kanchanurburi housing various Hindu and Buddhist Buddahs and images.

The tiger temple. Rescued tigers were taken here to the temple for the monks to look after. They are allowed to roam in relative freedom and visitors are encouraged to stroke them by the monks. They roam around in a small sanctuary. They are wild and apparently there has only been one attack on a human in a decade. They advise you not to wear red if visiting here as it attracts the tiger.

Erawan National Park

This national park is about 500 Kms square and there are several caves containing stalagmites and stalagtites. There are fantastic waterfalls and pools some of which are safe to swim in. There are chances to see wild elephant's monkeys and eagles and even dare I say even King cobras and pythons. EEK!

Srinagarindra National Park

It is difficult to get here although once there it is worth the visit as there are waterfalls and beautiful fauna and flora here. The easiest way to get here is by boat as the road descends into a mud track.

Summary: Well worth a visit to remember those who died unnecessarily.