On Mosquitoes, Bridges and a POW’s Railway

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An August 2008 trip to Kanchanaburi by SeenThat

Cross of Sacrifice Photo - Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Quote: A main tourists’ attraction near Bangkok, Kanchanaburi offers unusual bridges and railways; but before everything else, it is known as being the mosquitos’ capital of Thailand.

25 Photos

The Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai

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Attraction | "Renaming a River"

Bridge Photo - Kanchanaburi, Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Quote:

During World War II, the Japanese used war prisoners to build a railway connecting Thailand with Myanmar. It became known as the Death Railway, and one of its bridges – over the River Kwai – became as infamous as the railway.AccessThe bridge is about five kilometers northwest from Kanchanaburi’s downtown; a truck from the bus terminal costs six baht, while from inside the bus terminal tuk-tuk drivers ask for ten times that. ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 2, 2009

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Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery

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Attraction | "Respect, Beauty and the Cross of Sacrifice"

Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery Photo - Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Quote:

Most Westerners know quite a lot about the European chapters of World War II, however the Asian parts of it are relegated to a secondary place; yet much of that war, including events related to Western countries, did happen in Asia.Thailand was home to several dramatic events during that war; probably the best known one was the build up of the Burma Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai by Western POWs, who were captured by the Japanese. It is estimated than sixteen thousand POWs died during the task and many of them were buried in two war...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 2, 2009

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Kanchanaburi

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Attraction | "Cooler than Bangkok"

Quote:

The small town of Kanchanaburi is a bit away from the main highways crisscrossing Thailand, but it is house to two main attractions: the Bridge over the River Kwai and the Death Railway. National parks add green color to the picture; the altitude offers a cooler climate than nearby Bangkok creating thus an important added value after a while in the suffocating metropolis. Unluckily, the town is usually crowded with tourists, thus planning an early arrival, visiting the main points of interest and then sleeping in Sangkhlaburi or Nakhon Pathom (both reviewed in this ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 2, 2009

Kanchanaburi
130 Kilometers West Of Bangkok
Kanchanaburi, Thailand 71000
66 34 511 200; 34 5

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Sangkhlaburi and the Three Pagodas Pass

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Attraction | "A Dead End"

Mon Refugees Water Houses Photo - Sangkhlaburi, Thailand

Quote:

On the north-west tip of Kanchanaburi Province is Sangkhlaburi, a district where the town of Sangkhla (that’s the meaning of the district name, "buri" – like "chiang" and "nakhon" - is a Thai form of "town") and the Three Pagodas Pass to Myanmar are.AccessThe town can be accessed from Kanchanaburi’s bus terminus or from Nam Tok, the modern end of the Death Railway. The last option is attractive if willing to avoid a night in Kanchanaburi; it allows exploring the attraction in the morning and arriving to Sangkhla in the early ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 2, 2009

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Nakhon Pathom

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Attraction | "World’s Largest Stupa and a Floating Market"

Floating Market Photo - Damnoen Saduak, Thailand

Quote:

Nakhon Pathom is the capital of Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand and the site of the world's largest stupa, named Phra Pathom Chedi (The Holy Chedi of Pathom).AccessIf planning a visit to Nakhon Pathom, it is best to time it just before or after a visit to Kanchanaburi, since Nakhon Pathom is on the way there. Buses leave from the new Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal, which can be reached with bus 4 from the Vi...Read More