Kanchanaburi Information

Kanchanaburi Information

CITY ATTRACTIONS
The provincial capital is a relatively new town, dating merely from 1831. Major tourism attractions are inextricably connected with the Second World War, and more specifically, the years 1942 through 1945.

The Bridge Over The River Kwai
Internationally famous, thanks to several motion pictures and books, the black iron bridge was brought from Java by the Japanese army and reassembled under Japanese supervision by Allied prisoner-of- war labour as part of the 'Death Railway' linking Thailand with Burma. Still in use today, the bridge was the target of frequent Allied bombing raids during 1945, and was rebuilt after the war ended. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. The bridge, which spans the Kwai Yai river some 4 kilometres northeast of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Kanchanaburi office on Saeng Chuto Road, is the focal point of a riverside area of restaurants, souvenir and jewellery shops. Second World War vintage steam locomotives and a peculiar hybrid road/railcar from the same era comprise a small Railway Museum on the bridge's eastern approach.

Japanese War Memorial
This occupies a small plot of land just south of the bridge.

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
On Saeng Chuto Road, opposite the Railway Station, this immaculately maintained enclave contains the remains of 6,982 Allied prisoners-of-war who perished during the construction of the 'Death Railway'. An estimated 16,000 Allied prisoners-of-war, and 49,000 forced labourers, died during the construction of the 'Death Railway' and Bridge over the the River Kwai.

The Chong-Kai War Cemetery
2 kilometres south of town, on the bank of the Kwai Noi river, this occupies the former site of the Chong-Kai Prisoner-of-War Camp. This second cemetery is more peaceful, attractively landscaped, and contains some 1,750 remains.

The Jeath War Museum
This enclave in the riverside precincts of Wat Chaichumphon has been constructed largely in the form of an Allied prisoner-of- war camp. The name JEATH is derived from Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland. The thatched detention hut with cramped, elevated bamboo bunks contains photographic, pictorial and physical memorabilia dating from the Second World War. Several prisoners-of-war who survived appalling conditions have donated items from that time to add to the museum's authenticity. Opening Hours: 8.30 AM to 6.00 PM. Admission Fee: 20 Baht

Wat Tham Khao Pun
1 kilometre southwest of the Chong-Kai War cemetery, this Buddhist temple is lo-cally renowned for a cave containing sta-lactites and stalagmites, and many beauti-ful Buddha images.

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OUT OF CITY

ATTRACTIONS
Essentially, there are two major land routes for exploring conveniently accessible tourism attractions in provincial Kanchanaburi. The more western Route 323 largely parallels the Kwai Noi river to the Khao Laem Dam resevoir (153 kilometres from the provincial capital). Route 3199 follows the Kwai Yai river to Sri Nagarind Dam (69 kilometres from the provincial capital).

Route 323
Major attractions along, or near, Route 323, and within 250 kilometres of the provincial capital, include:

Cultural Centre
The centre, located at the Rajpatara Insti-tute, some 14 kilometres beyond the pro-vincial capital, houses a permanent exhibi-tion of ancient and modern lifestyles.

Phu Phra Cave
15 kilometres from town, this cave is where a legendary character from Thai literature is said to have studied magic.

Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park
Well-signposted from Route 323, and 43 kilometres from town, this ancient site is located on a steep bank of the Kwai Noi river where the waterway narrows and becomes fast flowing. The 800-year-old city ruins are of considerable archaeological interest, and the principal structure, the Khmer Prasat Muang Sing (Tower of the City of Lions) is believed to have been the westernmost outpost of the Angkor-centred Khmer empire. Skeletal remains dating back some 2,000 years have been unearthed, and a wide range of artifacts, including temple carvings, religious statu-ary, implements and pottery shards indicate the once-thriving city must have been inhabited from approximately the 12th to 14th centuries. Admission Fee: 20 Baht.

Ban Kao National Museum
8 kilometres from Prasat Muang Sing, and 35 kilometres from town, this also overlooks the Kwai Noi river. The museum was constructed beside a Neolithic burial site discovered by an Allied prisoner-of-war during the construction of 'Death Railway'. Some 4,000 years ago, Neolithic man lived, roamed and hunted beside the Kwai rivers, sheltering beneath rock overhangs or in nearby caves. The Ban Kao museum houses skeletal remains, pots, axe heads, jewellery made from animal bones, and other artifacts dating from that era.

Sai Yok Noi Waterfall
Also known as Khao Phang Waterfall, 60 kilometres from town on Route 323, this is the first of several waterfalls. The roadside cascade is best visited between July and September when water is most plentiful, and is 2 kilometres northwest of Nam Tok Railway Station, the terminus of the branch line originating in the provincial capital, and which crosses the world-famous bridge.

The Lawa Cave
75 kilometres from town, this largest cave in the area has stalactites and stalagmites in several chambers. Visitors may take boats from the Kwai Noi river Pak Saeng Pier, at Tambon Tha Sao (southwest of Nam Tok Railway Station and Sai Yok Noi Waterfall) to explore this cave, and travel afterwards upstream to the riverine Sai Yok Yai Waterfall, 104 kilometres from town.

Sai Yok Yai Waterfall
This flows directly into the Kwai Noi river, and is the most popular attraction in the 300-square-kilometre Sai Yok National Park. The park contains several About caves besides the Lawa. The Daowadueng Cave, which also entails a river trip for visits, is the most popular. South of the Sai Yok Yai Waterfall, another cascade, the Nam Chon Waterfall, flows directly into the river. Wild-life in Sai Yok's deciduous forests include small mammals such as bats, squirrels and deer, and numerous bird species, includ-ing wreathed hornbills and blue-winged pittas. Human presence at Sai Yok is known to date back to the Stone Age, and the Sai Yok Yai waterfall has been repeatedly cel-ebrated in Thai poetry and song. Bunga-low accommodation, river rafts and camp-ing facilities are available.

Hin Dat Hot Springs
130 kilometres from town, these occupy a hollow some 3 kilometres northeast of Route 323.

Phra That Waterfall
The three-tiered cascade, 140 kilometres from town, is some 12 kilometres northeast of Route 323, along the same track.

Khao Laem Dam
153 kilometres from town, this imposing structure has a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, guest house and motel accommo-dation, and a scenic reservoir upon which several private complexes offer opportunities for boat rides, swimming and fishing. Areas beyond Khao Laem Dam meriting visits either edge the extensive reservoir or nestle against the Thai-Myanmar border.

Pilog Mine
60 kilometres west of Amphoe Thong Pha Phum on Route 3272, there was much min-ing of wolfram and tin in the Tanaosri Mountain range marking the Thai-Burmese border. A temperate fruit and decorative winter plant orchard, Pilog Hill, 32 kilome-tres from the amphoe, can be visited en route.

Sangkhla Buri
This petite settlement, some 225 kilome-tres from Kanchanaburi, edges the north-ernmost extremities of the Khao Laem Dam reservoir. The scenic 75-kilometre route from Khao Laem largely parallels the res-ervoir, passes several raft complexes, bo-tanical gardens and roadside cascades, and vistas of partly submerged trees crowding the reservoir banks.

Three Pagodas Pass
This even smaller settlement, 241 kilometres from Kanchanaburi, marks the rugged Thai-Myanmar border, and is the site of a small but thriving border market. Visitors are allowed to enter the neighbouring Burmese settlement between 6.00 AM and 6.00 PM (when the border is closed). The three miniature pagodas are memorials to what was the traditional invasion route favoured by Burmese soldiers during the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767).

Wat Wang Wiwekaram
This extensive temple on the southern out-skirts of Sangkhla Buri edges the Khao Laem reservoir. The complex is constructed in an unusual pastiche of Thai, Indian and Burmese Buddhist architectural styles, and the abbot is highly revered among local people, including tribal folk and Burmese.

Thung Yai Sanctuary Park
Northeast of Sangkhla Buri, this sanctuary occupies a terrain of forested mountains and high plains, and hosts numerous protected wildlife species including tigers, bears, elephants and deer. The area is necessarily rugged, remote, and demands 4-wheel-drive vehicles for exploration. Spe-cial permission from the Forestry Department is needed for admission. Visitors interested in entering the area are required to contact the Forestry Depart-ment, either in Bangkok or in Kanchanaburi.

Route 3199
Major attractions along Route 3199 include beautiful waterfalls in three national parks.

Bo Phloi
Some 40 kilometres from Kanchanaburi, and just off Route 3086, this area is famed for locally-mined blue sapphires and semi-precious materials such as onyx. A Jewel-lery Handicraft Centre enables visitors to see how these materials are made into fin-ished jewellery creations.

Kanchanaburi Safari Park
This extensive enclave near Bo Phloi is dominated by a man-made hill adorned with decorative pavilions. The enclave hosts numerous African and Asian mammals, including giraffes, zebras, lions, tigers and elephants in carefully landscaped environs.

Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park or Tham Than Lot
97 kilometres from Kanchanaburi, and north of Bo Phloi, along Route 3086, this 54-square-kilometre park encompasses peaceful forests, waterfalls and several caves. The 300-metre-long Than Lot Cave near the park headquarters is the most popular attraction. Bungalow accommo-dation and camping facilities are available.

Erawan National Park
65 kilometres from Kanchanaburi along Route 3199, this 550-square-kilometre na-tional park is the site of the 7-tiered Erawan Waterfall, widely regarded as being one of Thailand's loveliest cascades. A mount-ainside forest setting includes dense bam-boo groves which support numerous bird species. The park's other major attraction is the spectacular Pra That Cave which con-tains monumental stalagmites. Bungalow accommodation and camping facilities are available.

Sri Nakharin Dam
69 kilometres from Kanchanaburi, and just 4 kilometres north of the Erawan National Park, this massive structure marks the southernmost extremity of an extensive reservoir, which is part of yet another national park.

Sri Nakharin National Park
This park covers 1,532 square kilometres. Park headquarters are 105 kilometres from Kanchanaburi. Major park attractions in-clude the lovely 7-tiered Huai Khamin Wa-terfall, boat trips on the scenic reservoir, and encroaching deciduous forests and bamboo groves where kingfishers, parrots, bee-eaters, hornbills, thrushes, wood-peckers, babblers and numerous other bird species are readily seen. Larger, more elusive animals within the park's remoter areas include deer, elephants and tigers. Phra and Niramit Caves near the park headquarters comprise other attractions. Bungalow accommodation is available. The park's relative inaccessibility necessi-tates either a punishing 40-kilometre drive along a dry weather track, and negotiable only by motorcycle, pick-up trucks or 4- wheel-drive vehicles, or a 45-75 minute boat ride from the Ta Kradan Pier 24 kilometres north of the Sri Nagarind Dam.

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SPECIAL INTERESTS

National Parks
Kanchanaburi's aforementioned parks offer opportunities for either camping, and/ or fishing, or trekking along nature trails. Camping facilities, which customarily provide cold running water and simple toilet facilities, are available at Chaloem Rattanakosin, Sai Yok and Erawan national parks. Trekking along either well-defined waterfall trails, or nature trails, to visit caves or appreciate local flora and fauna, is a popular activity at all national parks.

Fishing
This is popular on both Kwai rivers, and the Khao Laem and Sri Nagarind reservoirs. Several raft resorts offer hired rods. Edible and popular fish include the Giant Gourami, the Transverse Bellbarb, the Giant Snake-head Fish and the Striped Tiger Nandid. Each is delicious when freshly cooked, either simply fried or in Thai culinary styles.

Rafting & Canoeing
Trips are available from the provincial capital and several holiday resorts. Raft trips leave from the famous bridge , or the waterfront Song Kwai Road area. Trips may entail 7-10 hour return journeys, or include an overnight stay on either the Kwai Yai or Kwai Noi rivers.

Rail Trips
Railway enthusiasts may travel along one of Southeast Asia's most historical tracks, namely the surviving stretch of the 'Death Railway', from the provincial capital to the Nam Tok Railway Station near the Sai Yok Noi Waterfall. The winding track crosses the world-famous bridge and provides a clear indication of how difficult constructing the original track (long since repaired and restored) must have been. One particularly exhilarating stretch sees the line parallel the curving Kwai Noi on a wooden viaduct towering above the river and hugging a steep, cave-ridden cliff.

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GOLF

Golf has become very popular in recent years and can be enjoyed at the courses listed below. Most offer clubhouse, pro shop and caddy facilities, and have rental equipment, Green fees vary widely, weekends generally being more expensive. Unless otherwise specified, courses listed below are each 18-hole, par 72.

Green World Hot Spring Resort & Golf Club
Km. 107 Kanchanaburi-Thong Pha Phum Road Tel: (02) 243-4613, 539-2865-6

Grand Garden & Golf Club
Latya, Muang Kanchanaburi Tel: (02) 243-5816-7, 249-0742-3

Khao Laem Golf Course
(9 holes) Thong Pha Phum Tel: (034) 599-077

Sri Nagarind Golf Course
(9 holes) Si Sawat Tel: (034) 513-000

Nichigo Resort & Country Club
Latya, Muang Kanchanaburi Tel: (02) 235-3034-8

Barrington Saiyok & Sports Club
Singha, Sai Yok Tel: (02) 541-425-6

Mission Hill Golf Club
Nong Tak Ya, Tha Muang, Kanchanaburi Tel: (02) 222-5514, 226-3390, (01) 312-0711-2

River Kwai Golf & Country Club
Ban Wang Mai, Sai Yok Tel: (02) 279-5040, 2789-5058 (034) 591-037

Evergreen Hills Golf Club
152 Mu 5, Tha Muang, Kanchanaburi Tel: (02) 512-0294-6

Home Phu Toey Golf Resort
Ban Phu Toey, Sai Yok Tel: (02) 280-3488-9

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MAJOR EVENTS

Boat & Raft Day
Local long-boat teams race boats with great gusto at the waterfront area of the provincial Kwai Yai river to celebrate 'Boat & Raft Day', generally during October.

River Kwai Bridge Week
Each year, late Novemeber and/or early December, the world-famous bridge becomes the focal point of celebrations. Highlights include exhibitions and historical and archaeological displays, a carnival featuring sideshows, roundabouts, folk entertainment and cultural performances, rides on trains hauled by World War II-vintage steam locomotives, and a nightly light & sound presentaton re-enacting the bridge's Second World War history, including an Allied bombing raid.

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SHOPPING

Major souvenir shops are concentrated around the eastern approaches, and riverine environment, of the world-famous bridge. Almost every handicraft produced in Thailand can be purchased there. Browsing to compare quality, and good-hu-moured but determined bargaining, will ensure favourable prices for readymade leisurewear and other apparel, and popular souvenirs such as bambo musical instruments, palm leaf mobiles, ceramic decorations, lacquerware and bronzeware receptacles, paper parasols,and Thai silk and cotton lengths. Kanchanaburi is a major source of high-quality Thai blue sapphires. These are mined at Bo Phloi, as are onyx and topaz. Purchasers of finished jewellery creations can be made at Bo Phloi's Jewellery Handicraft Centre, and other satellite outlets.

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Information provided by T.A.T (Tourism Autority of Thailand)