Kanchanaburi

The history, and why it matters

During the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia, a railway was built between Thailand and Burma through jungle that had been judged impassable. It was constructed by Allied prisoners of war and by forced labourers from across the region, under conditions that killed a very large number of them.

The bridge over the River Kwai — made famous by a film that got most of the history wrong — is the best-known surviving structure. Hellfire Pass, further north, is where the cutting was done largely by hand, and is the more affecting site.

This is not a theme park. The museums and the war cemetery in Kanchanaburi town are the reason to come, and they are handled with appropriate seriousness.

• The Thailand–Burma Railway Centre in town — start here, because the context makes the sites mean something.
• The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, in the middle of the town, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
• The bridge itself, and the short train ride across it on the surviving section of the line.
• Hellfire Pass, about 80 km north, with a memorial and a walking trail along the old cutting.

Erawan Falls and the Seven Tiers

Erawan National Park, about 65 km from town, protects a seven-tiered waterfall that is the most visited natural attraction in the province — and genuinely beautiful, with turquoise pools at each level.

The walk up to the seventh tier takes around two hours at an unhurried pace and is steep in places. Most people stop at the fourth or fifth, which is a reasonable compromise.

Go early. The park limits numbers at busy times, the lower pools fill up by mid-morning, and the climb is far more pleasant before the heat builds.

The river, and where to stay

The Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai rivers meet at Kanchanaburi town, and the valley between them is where the accommodation is.

The signature stay is a floating raft house or a riverside resort, many of them a long-tailed boat ride from the nearest road. They range from basic to very comfortable, and the setting is the point.

The town itself is practical and unglamorous: guesthouses, restaurants, the war cemetery and the museums within walking distance of each other.

When to go

November to February is the cool, dry season and the best time for both the waterfalls and the walking trails. The falls have more water later in the season than at the end of the dry months.

March to May is hot, and the water levels drop. June to October is the rainy season: the landscape is at its greenest and the falls at their fullest, but trails get muddy and the river can run high and brown.

Getting there

Kanchanaburi is about 130 km west of Bangkok — roughly three hours by road, which makes it the closest of the province-scale destinations to the capital.

• By train from Bangkok's Thonburi station, on the line that crosses the bridge itself. Slow, scenic and the classic way to arrive.
• By bus or minivan from Bangkok's southern bus terminal, which is faster.
• By private transfer, which is what most people do if they are combining it with Erawan in one day.
• Erawan is 65 km from town and has no useful public transport — you need a tour, a hired car or a songthaew. Most visitors do it as a day trip from Kanchanaburi rather than staying out there.