Chung-Kai War Cemetery
 1,750
dead buried here
Around 2 km to the south of town on the far bank of the Khwae Noi River,
this cemetery occupies the former site of Chung-Kai POW camp.
Around 1,750 POWs are buried here, most of whom died in the hospital. The
cemetery is at the original site of the base camp hospital and a church
which was built by the POWs.
About 12,000 people are buried around Kanchanaburi in various cemeteries.
A total of 61,000 Allied prisoners were transferred to Kanchanaburi from
various camps in the region. All of these prisoners have been accounted for,
but many visitors do not realize that tens of thousands of Malays, Chinese,
Tamil and Burmese also died. The exact number of their dead is not known.
Opening Hours: Daily dawn to dusk
How to get there: The cemetery is a few kilometers out of town so is best
reached by tuk tuk or samlor.
 Death
Railway Bridge
This infamous bridge is not spectacular, with its grim history being its
main drawcard for travellers. Most people know it as The Bridge Over the
River Kwai, from the popular book by Pierre Boulle and subsequent US movie.
The original iron bridge was brought from Java by Japanese armed forces
during World War II and reassembled by POW labour a few kilometres to the
north of Kanchanaburi town over the Khwae Yai River. It consisted of eleven
steel spans, with the remainder made of wood. Three of the spans were
destroyed by Allied bombing and after the end of the war in 1945 were
replaced with two angular steel spans. The wooden spans were also replaced
by steel.
The bridge formed a part of the Death Railway, which was planned to link
Burma and Thailand by rail to form a vital supply route for the Japanese.
The length of the Death Railway to the Burma Base Camp is 415 km, with 294
km in Thailand. Sixty thousand men were forced to build it in atrocious
conditions between October 1942 and October 1943. The labourers included
Allied POWs, Indians, Burmese, Malaysians, Indonesians, Chinese and Thais.
At the end of the war, 4 km of track on the Thai-Burma border was
dismantled. The State Railway of Thailand was handed the Thai section and
ordered to dismantle it as far back as Nam Tok by the Thai government.
Recently, mindful of the value of the area for tourism, the rebuilding of
the railway line has begun.
The bridge is still in use today for trains heading towards the
northwest. Today it's a pleasant spot to watch the sunset and ponder
history.
A sound and light display is held at the bridge every year in late
November or early December, during which a voice over in Thai, with an
English translation available, narrates the bridge history. Although a
little bizarre, the fireworks are very impressive and this is well worth
seeing. It's a very popular event, so if you want good seats, buy tickets at
least a few hours before the show.
Opening Hours: Daily
How to get there: The bridge is at the northern end of town, about a
20-minute walk from centre.
 Hellfire
Pass
This is one of the most outstanding museums in Thailand and should be
considered a must-see for any visitor to Kanchanaburi. Set above a
particularly gruesome section of the Death Railway, Hellfire Pass was a
cutting that was said to glow in a hellish colour under torchlight. The
cutting is a 30-minute walk from the museum and well worth visiting. The
museum traces the Japanese war effort in the area and follows many of the
actions and activities of the POWs. An audiovisual display, models of the
surrounds and a great view over the area all conbine to make this an
excellent attraction. The museum is on Route 323, around 70km west of
Kanchanaburi town. Any bus to Thong Pha Phum or Sangkhlaburi will pass by
here.
 JEATH
War Museum
Set in a bamboo replica of the longhouses where Allied POWs during WWII
were forced to stay, the JEATH (Japan, England, Australia, America, Thailand
and Holland) Museum contains a moving photo and art collection displaying
the atrocious conditions under which the POWs existed. A small collection of
other paraphernalia is also displayed.
Opening Hours: Daily 08:30-18:00
How to get there: The musuem is located on the river just south of the
town centre, within walking distance of most riverside guesthouses.
Kanchanaburi
War Cemetery
6,982 remains
On Saeng Chuto Rd, nearly opposite the train station, this very well-kept
cemetery contains the remains of 6,982 Allied POWs who died during the
construction of the Death Railway. All up an estimated 16,000 POWs and over
49,000 forced labourers died during its construction.
Opening Hours: Daily dawn to dusk
 Chinese
cemetery
Located beside the war cemetery, this large Chinese cemetery which has
been completely overgrown and is littered with trash but is still worth a
peek. Keep an eye out for the large tree towards Klang Muang Rd with the
trashed spirit houses at its base.
Prasat Muang Singh
 Western-most
extent of the Khmer empire
Prasat Muang Singh or Sanctuary of the City of the Lion is the
westernmost Khmer site so far unearthed and has been dated to the 12th or
13th century. Sitting on the bank of the Khwae Noi River this complex is
believed to have once been a large trading centre and probably also acted as
an important garrison town protecting the western frontier of the Khmer
Kingdom.
As with virtually all Khmer temples, Prasat Muang Singh is a model of how
the Khmers saw their celestial universe. The central construction represents
Mount Meru, the domain of the Gods and was separated by seven concentric
moats and ramparts which represented the mountain ranges and wild seas that
surrounded Mount Meru.
The restoration that was undertaken at Prasat Muang Singh was quite
speedy and as a result, controversial. Accurate records were not taken and
some of the reconstruction work is considered not true to form. There is a
small collection of artifacts in a museum within the site’s grounds, but
most of the more valued pieces have been carted off to the National Museum
in Bangkok.
Like many Khmer temples, Prasat Muang Singh is made of laterite as are
the ramparts and remaining walls. The surrounding town is believed to have
been ten times the size of the sanctuary that remains and there are still a
selection of sites awaiting excavation. The park is set in lush, green and
peaceful grounds (when there is not a bus load of tourists ogling the ruins)
and it is an enjoyable place to take in the atmosphere.
Opening Hours: Daily 08:00-16:00
 Sai
Yok Noi Waterfall
This large and conveniently situated waterfall sits on the north side of
Route 323, around 45km west of Kanchanaburi. The main falls, running over a
sizeable limestone head, are icy cold and popular for a splash or a frolic ,
though the setting is a little contrived compared to the more isolated falls
elsewhere in Kanchanaburi province. It's a popular stop on most of the day
tours running out of Kanchanaburi as it's on the way to Hellfire Pass and
loads of refreshment stalls are in the area. A war-era locomotive also lies
just to the east of the falls. If you are heading to Sangkhlaburi by bus,
it's likely you'll stop here for ten to 15 minutes, which should be enough
time to run over, have a splash and take a pic. Just clear it with the bus
driver first!
 The
Tiger Temple
We suggest you consider carefully before visiting the Tiger Temple.
Regardless of the many rumors circulating about this place, in our opinion,
a dozen or so tigers (which are now breeding) belong in the care of trained
personnel in a natural environment -- not in a quarry under the care of an
abbot, regardless of how good his intentions may be. If you do decide to
visit the Tiger Temple, any tour operator in Kanchanaburi can organize a
visit for you.
 Wat
Tham Mongkon Thong
The Cave Temple of the Floating Dragon has no floating dragon, but does
have a resident floating nun, one of a string of some half dozen who have
served their time here -- a few of the past ones still live here and can be
seen walking (not floating) around the compound.
Although performed in front of Nikon-wielding devotees, the performance
is worth seeing as the nun really does float on top of the water while
assuming various yoga positions.
Skeptics have been known to taste the water (it is not salty) or even
jump in, but they can't match the nun's buoyancy. After the show, the nun
will bless and massage anyone with an illness or injury.
A small museum near the nun's floating arena displays a handful of
artifacts found in the surrounding area.
Back from the museum, a long stairway leads up to a cave temple where you
can crawl from one cavern to another, eventually ending up near the hill’s
summit.
How to get there: Get a tuk tuk or samlor to bring you out here as the
temple is not sign-posted in English and is very easy to miss.
 Wat
Thum Khao Poon
This wat is built near eight caves which you can wander through when the
monks are not using them as meditation rooms. They feature both stalactites
and stalagmites but many have been broken so tourists won't hurt themselves.
The formations include ones resembling a crocodile, an elephant and a
tooth. One section of the cave is only reached through a tunnel which you
need to crawl through, so leave your tuxedo at home. At dusk thousands of
bats fly out of the cave.
Upon exiting the cave take the path leading left after the Chinese temple
to a large outdoor sitting Buddha that cheerfully observes the pleasant view
of the river and mountains. If you take the small path past the souvenir
sellers you will come out at the death railway train track, near a section
where the POWs had to blast through a rock hill.
How to get there: To reach Wat Thum Khao Poon get a tuk tuk or samlor.
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