Kanchanaburi travel guide: River Kwai, Death Railway and Erawan Falls

Why stay more than a day

Most day tours from Bangkok reach the bridge, take a short train ride and turn back. The places that explain the railway's history — Hellfire Pass, the viaducts, the cemeteries — and the waterfalls of Erawan National Park are spread over many kilometres, and are best seen without a two-hour drive at each end.

With two nights in town you can see the history at a respectful pace, spend a day in the national parks and have evenings by the river.

The bridge, the cemeteries and the town

The Bridge over the River Kwai was built by the forced labour of Allied prisoners of war under Japanese control, and its central spans were later destroyed by Allied bombing, as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory records. Walk onto it early in the morning, before the tour groups, and step aside into the refuges when a train is due.

In town, Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak) holds the graves of 6,982 prisoners of war who died building the railway; a second Allied cemetery lies at Chong Kai across the river. These are places of remembrance: keep your voice low and do not use graves as photo props.

Each year in late November and early December, the River Kwai Bridge Festival brings a sound-and-light show to the bridge. Book accommodation early if you plan to be in town then.

Riding the Death Railway

The surviving section of the Thai–Burma railway still carries trains west from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok station, about 77 kilometres away according to the directory. The line crosses the bridge and runs along the Kwai Noi valley; near Tham Krasae, the track clings to the cliff on a wooden viaduct, and visitors can walk along the sleepers to a cave shrine when no train is coming.

Trains are few and slow. Check the State Railway of Thailand timetable, decide where to join and leave the train, and arrange a car or tour to collect you at the other end so that you are not waiting for hours for a return service.

Hellfire Pass

The Hellfire Pass Museum of Remembrance stands about 80 kilometres from town on Highway 323, beyond the end of the operating line. The directory explains the name: prisoners worked at night by firelight, and the shadows looked like hell. The museum, opened in 1999 with the cooperation of the Australian government, leads to a walking trail along the original cutting.

Allow at least two hours for the museum and the walk. The directory lists closures over Songkran, 5 December, Christmas and New Year; check before going, and bring water and good shoes for the trail.

Erawan Falls and the national parks

Erawan Waterfall, in Erawan National Park, falls in seven tiers through the forest, with pools at each level; the directory lists opening from 7:30 to 16:00. The trail to the top is about 1.5 kilometres and steep in places. Arrive early, before the day-trippers, and keep to the swimming areas the park designates.

National parks charge entry fees for foreign visitors that are set by the Department of National Parks and change from time to time; carry cash. Further north-west, the reservoirs and forests around Si Sawat and Sangkhlaburi make a natural extension for a longer trip.