Kanchanaburi in Thailand, the complete guide

The complete guide, what you need to know to discover the city and province of Kanchanaburi located in central Thailand.

Kanchanaburi is known for its tragic history during the Japanese occupation and the construction of the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, but it is also a seductive city, on the waterfront, highly appreciated by tourists.

Description

Kanchanaburi Province

It's a small pleasant town that stretches along the Kwai River, it's located 130 km from Bangkok and has a population of 52,000 inhabitants.

Many of its restaurants, concert bars and guest houses are located on barges on the River Kwai.

History of the Bridge over the River Kwai

In 1941, the Japanese army invaded Thailand with the primary goal of invading Malaysia afterwards.

In 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army ordered the construction of a railway line that was to connect Thailand to Burma.

30,000 Western prisoners and 100,000 Asian workers were used to build 415 km of railway.

Then the Japanese decided to invade India using this route, they then accelerated the work and the work pace became infernal.

Forced labor and malaria caused thousands of deaths. In the last months, Japanese soldiers were also forced to participate in the work to meet the deadlines.

During this period, the bridge was bombed a dozen times by the Allies.

After the war, the Thai government decided to restore this line to attract tourists and they did not hesitate to ask Japanese banks to participate!

A monument and two museums were built to commemorate this tragic history:

The Thailand-Burma Railway Museum (opened in March 2003) and the Jeath War Museum about the bridge itself.

There is also the Death Railway and a World War II Allied cemetery.

Things to see and do in Kanchanaburi

The tourist office is located on Saeng Chuto Rd, just south of the bus station.

Open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day.

The Bridge over the River Kwai

It is located 3 km north of the city.

See its history above.

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Located on Saeng Chuto Road, opposite the station, this well-maintained enclave contains the remains of 6,982 Allied prisoners of war who perished during the construction of the 'Death Railway'.

It is estimated that 16,000 Allied prisoners of war and 49,000 forced laborers died during the construction of the 'Death Railway and the Bridge on the River Kwai.

Kanchanaburi Cemetery

The JEATH War Museum

The name JEATH is derived from the initials of Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand, and Holland.

The thatched detention hut with its narrow and high bamboo beds contains photographic, graphic and physical souvenirs of World War II.

Several prisoners of war who survived the appalling conditions donated objects from that period to bring more authenticity to the museum.

Address: Thanon Pak Phraek (Adjacent to Wat Chaichumphon temple, 1 km south of the city center).

Open from: 8:30 am to 6 pm.
Entrance Fee: 20 baht

Chongkai War Cemetery

It's a small, well-maintained cemetery 2 km from the city along the road to Wat Thaopoom, the final resting place of Dutch and British forces.

Wat Tham Khao Pun

Located 1 kilometer southeast of Chong Kai War Cemetery, this Buddhist temple is locally known for a cave containing stalactites and stalagmites as well as many magnificent reproductions of the Buddha.

Parties, festival and concert

Every year in autumn, a multi-day festival is held to commemorate the construction and destruction of the first bridge.

The entrance fee is around 20 to 30 baht depending on the day.

A sound and light show staging this story takes place every evening of the festival, for around 100 bahts per person.

There are also rave parties and concerts.

But it's especially an opportunity for many merchants in the region to boost their sales by displaying their stalls to the huge festival crowd: fried insects, popcorn, hot dogs and clothing are the main goods sold.

Other activities

Kanchanaburi is the closest city to the Tiger Temple (now closed) and Erawan National Park with its magnificent waterfalls.

panoramic view of Erawan waterfall

Find a hotel in Kanchanaburi

You won't have any trouble finding hotel rooms, but if you come between November and February, the high season in Thailand, it's better to book in advance.

Climate of Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi generally enjoys a cooler temperature than central Thailand due to its geographical location.

Indeed, Kanchanaburi is located in the Kwai River valley and bordered by mountainous reliefs.

The average temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius, with winter being felt especially from January 1st to 15th, while remaining pleasant.

The climate of Kanchanaburi can be divided into two six-month periods: a wet period where it rains every afternoon until mid-December and is subject to violent storms (the monsoon), then a very dry period until mid-June.

Transport to/from Kanchanaburi

You will find long-haul flights on Trip.com, for regional flights see above.

To get an idea of the prices of bus, train, boat or plane tickets or to book your ticket, you can consult our partner 12go.asia.

By bus

From Bangkok (approximately 3 hours journey):
– From the Southern Bus Terminal Sai Tai Mai : Departures from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm, every 30 minutes (approximately 80 baht)
– From Mo Chit Northern Bus Terminal, departures between 5 am and 3:30 pm (approximately 130 baht)

By train

From Thonburi station (in Bangkok): departure at 7:35 am and arrival at 10:30 am or at 1:45 pm and arrival at 4:30 pm.
From Kanchanaburi: the train leaves at 7:19 am to arrive at 10 am or at 2:44 pm to arrive at 5:30 pm.

By car

From Bangkok, simply follow route No. 4 (Phetkasem) via Nakhon Chaisi, Nakhon Pathom, Ban Pong, Tha Maka, Tha Muang, the journey takes approximately 2 hours.

See also: Transport in Thailand, getting around the Land of Smiles

Video on Kanchanaburi

A nice short video that presents the city and main attractions in less than 3 minutes (in English, but gives a good view of things to see and the atmosphere):

Maps of Kanchanaburi city and province

Map of Kanchanaburi city

Map of Kanchanaburi Province

See also:
Photos of Kanchanaburi
Tips on Kanchanaburi
Maps of Kanchanaburi

Photos: The Bridge on the Kwai River: Tsavop; World War II Cemeteries in Kanchanaburi: Rdsmith4; Kanchanaburi Railway Station: yeowatzup; Bridge on the Kwai River 2: Aekkapuncs