Kanchanaburi is a relaxing place to spend a few days taking in the bridge, museums and other key WWII sites. It is also possible to take a train trip along the remaining section of the line between the Bridge over the River Kwai and Nam Tok. Hellfire Pass is just 10kms from the latter.
Two trains a day run between Bangkok’s Thonburi Railway Station and Nam Tok via the bridge station. The service operates with third-class carriages and no air-conditioning, but is rarely crowded and offers quite a pleasant journey. Vendors wander the carriages selling iced drinks.
Other travel options to Kanchanaburi are to book a mini-bus from Bangkok’s Morchit Station or take a regular coach from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai). From the bus station in Kanchanaburi, the bridge is a 10km trip by taxi. En route there are plenty of accommodation options close to the banks of the River Kwai to suit all budgets.
Getting to Kanchanaburi and the Bridge over the River Kwai
News in Asia
One of the best known historical sites in Thailand is just over two hours by mini-bus from Bangkok. The infamous Bridge over the River Kwai is close to the town of Kanchanaburi. The bridge was an important link on the WWII-era Death Railway to what was then Burma.