The Journey Begins
Waiting for the 3rd Class train to Kanchanaburi at the Thonburi Station in Bangkok.
Kanchanaburi
Within the town of Kanchanaburi are numerous museums and sights to see all related to the Death Railway, and the Japanese occupation of the area.
Many of the Dutch and Australian POWs are buried in this cemetery. These men were instrumental in the building of the Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai. This cemetery is maintained through a joint effort between the Australian, Dutch, and Thai Chambers of Commerce.
The Death Railway & The Bridge over the River Kwai and the Japanese
In 1943 thousands of Allied Prisoners of War (PoW) and Asian laborers worked on the Death Railway under the imperial Japanese army in order to construct part of the 415 km long Burma-Thailand railway. Most of these men were Australians, Dutch and British and they had been working steadily southwards from Thanbyuzayat (Burma) to link with other PoW on the Thai side of the railway. This railway was intended to move men and supplies to the Burmese front where the Japanese were fighting the British. Japanese army engineers selected the
route which traversed deep valleys and hills. All the heavy work was done manually either by hand or by elephant as earth moving equipment was not available. The railway line originally ran within 50 meters of the Three Pagodas Pass which marks nowadays the border to Burma. However after the war the entire railway was removed and sold as it was deemed unsafe and politically undesirable. The prisoners lived in squalor with a near starvation diet. They were subjected to captor brutality and thus thousands perished. The men worked from dawn until after dark and often had to trudge many kilometers through the jungle to return to base camp where Allied doctors tended the injured and diseased by many died. Dysentery, cholera, typhoid, jungle rot, and many other diseases affected the PoW's during life in the prison camps. However, disease was not an excuse for not working; men who were sick were usually worked to death as to not to deal with them.
Japanese train engine used to haul war equipment along the Death Railway.
War Museum and Jeath War Museum
Other Sights Around Kanchanaburi
There is a Buddhist temple (or Wat in Thai) in a huge cave system in the mountains around Kanchanburi. You have to travel there by flat bottom speed boat, which makes for a pretty amazing ride.
Of the many bars owned by farangs (foreigners) in Kanchanaburi. I guess there can be truth in advertising.
The Erawan National Park is located in Amphoe Muang, Amphoe Saiyok, Kanchanaburi province. It has within its boundaries the Erawan Waterfall, which is well-known in Thailand due to its large size and height, as well as its backdrop of mountains, smaller
waterfalls, caves, cliffs, and overall beautiful surroundings. It is also
conveniently reached from Bangkok, which has made it very popular with tourists.
It covers around 550 sq km.
The Erawan National Park is in an area of steep mountains that reach as high as 1,659 m, surrounded by flatlands. Most of the mountains are limestone derivatives. To the east, the land begins to rise, particularly in the vicinity of the waterfall, which is shaped like a
cliff. This area also has some creeks, of which the most interesting are Huay Monglai and Huay-Amatala, which join together to feed the Erawan Waterfall. To the north are Huay-Sadae and Huay-Nongmon, with Huay-Sadae flowing into the Srinarkarin Dam, and Huay-Nongman that joins Huay-Saiyok to feed the Sai Yok Waterfall.
To the south is the source of many creeks, such as the Huay-Khaopang, which have created the beautiful Khaopang Waterfall and Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls.
The Erawan National Park comes under the influence of the southwest and northeast monsoons that produce copious showers of rain. However, the mountains protect the area, so the showers do not affect the park overmuch. It is quite hot throughout the year, and there is no problem to make a visit in any season.
