Lest We Forget, Kanchanaburi
This blog post is a recollection of my past travel experience to Kanchanaburi, Thailand in 2018. I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time but life got in the way until recently, my sister mentioned that she was going to travel to Kanchanaburi soon. That got me motivated to write!
Kanchanaburi is a small town located in the western part of Thailand. Most foreign visitors come to this town to visit the World War II Death Railway Bridge situated across the River Kwai. The bridge was the subject of an iconic Hollywood film ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ (1957).
History
Between 1942 – 1943, Allied Prisoners of War (POWs) and forced labour from Malaya, Java, Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar) were sent to Kanchanaburi by the Japanese to build the Burma-Siam railway.
The Burma-Siam railway was named the Death Railway as a result of large numbers of POWs and enslaved workers (approximately 16,000 and 90,000 respectively) who had died throughout the construction of the railway, and from disease, maltreatment and the general horrific conditions of the Japanese prison camps.
This historical setting was used in the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle, which was later adapted for the 1957 epic war film ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’.
Parts of the iron bridge were destroyed by Allied bombings but were rebuilt after the war which is the present bridge that we see today in Kanchanaburi.
The River Kwai Bridge
The infamous Death Railway is still in operation but as a passenger train. It crosses the River Kwai Bridge several times a day.
Tourists are allowed to walk cross the River Kwai Bridge at any time but do take precautions to stand at the side of the bridge when the train passes through. You won’t miss it as it moves at a slow speed, sounding its horn signaling to people to get off the track.
Riding the Death Railway
If you have time, I would recommend taking a ride on the Death Railway to, not only enjoy delightful views of the surrounding countryside, but mainly to appreciate the length of the railway that the POWs were forced to build particularly in some of the difficult areas that the train passes through.
There are two train stations in Kanchanaburi: Nam Tok (the main terminus in town) and River Kwai Bridge (right next to the bridge and river). You can choose to board the train from either of the two stations. Do note that the railway is now a passenger train, so you can expect a lot of people on board from tourists to school children and villagers.
It’s a two-hour train experience. In the first stage of the journey, you would enjoy scenic views of the Kwai valley, bamboo forests and mountain cliffs. Nearly towards the end of the ride, the train slows down to a minimum, creaking and squeaking, as it reaches a cliff. With nothing to hold on to except old, ancient rails, the train continues to roll on to the other side of the mountain.
I remembered feeling quite sober as the train navigated the tricky parts of the route. Just the thought of so many lives perished in the construction of the railway – the tracks were constructed by hand, cutting through jungle terrain and rocks – it was difficult to imagine what it was like.
When you return to Nam Tok station, you have a choice to continue your journey to Hellfire Pass which was a specific section of the railway track where conditions were at their worst during the war. However, you will not be able to get to Hellfire Pass by train – the best option is to take a bus from Nam Tok. The bus ride is about 1.5 hours.
I didn’t get the chance to go to Hellfire Pass because my friend wasn’t feeling well – he was sick with high fever since we arrived in Kanchanaburi the day before – so we decided to skip Hellfire Pass.
Lest We Forget
In Kanchanaburi, there is a memorial and a few museums to commemorate the dead. When I was there in 2018, I visited only the Death Railway Museum and the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. The War Cemetery is located 1km from the town centre whilst the Death Railway Museum is on the western side of the cemetery.
The Death Railway Museum is an information and research facility dedicated in preserving history and educating the public about the notorious railway and events of the war. It displays information, photographs, planning and construction processes of the railway as well as living conditions in POW camps, deaths, bombings and the aftermath of the war.
I was quite moved by what I saw at the museum. I had heard of the ‘The Bridge of the River Kwai’ film (but have not watched it) and I remembered war stories from my father who was a young boy during the Japanese Occupation in Malaya, but I wasn’t fully aware of the extent of the atrocities that went on in the construction of the railway.
Just steps away from the museum is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery – the main POW cemetery for victims who died building the railway. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, there are almost 7,000 graves of British, Australian and Dutch POWs laid out here in straight lines on manicured lawns and gardens.
I remembered that day at the war cemetery – it was drizzling – a contrast from the scorching heat the day before when we were travelling on the Death Railway. It was a solemn moment for me, thinking about the cruelty of the events that took place within the town and in the jungles during the war.
Just as I was about to leave the cemetery, a tour bus arrived with local Thais pouring out, smiling, laughing and taking selfies in between the graves. I wondered if they understood the significance of it all.
How to get to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok?
My friend and I travelled by train from Thonburi in Bangkok to Nam Tok in Kanchanaburi. I remembered it was an early morning departure from Thonburi. The journey is about 3 hours (or slightly less).
On our return to Bangkok, we opted to travel by air-conditioned minivan. The journey ends at Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal) in the capital city.
Where to stay in Kanchanaburi?
I can’t remember the name of our accommodation in Kanchanaburi but the town is a thriving backpacker scene, so you would expect to find a number of decent hostels and guesthouses there.
*****
The main attractions of Kanchanaburi are the Death Railway and events of the war. Other than that, it’s a sleepy town with a chilled-out riverside vibe. Apart from its easy connectivity to waterfalls and national parks, I’m not sure if more tourists would be coming here in the coming years as World War II is becoming distant in our memories as it was so long ago. I guess only time will tell…
Lest we forget, Kanchanaburi.
*****
Have you been to Kanchanaburi? Share your experience in the comments below!
