Bangkok Attractions
Bridge over the River Kwai
Kanchanaburi
Eighty miles (130km) west of Bangkok, the town of Kanchanaburi
has secured its position of infamy as the original site of the
Bridge Over The River Kwai, where during World War II allied
prisoners of war were used by the Japanese to build the Death
Railway and thousands died at the hands of their captors. With its
modern hotels and welcoming air, Kanchanaburi seems an unlikely
setting, but the bridge is still in use and the graves of the
Allied soldiers are testament to the town's unfortunate past. Worth
a visit is the JEATH (Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand
and Holland) War Museum in Kanchanaburi, which recounts experiences
in the Japanese POW camps during the War. The Sai Yok Yai Waterfall
in the Sai Yok National Park is a place of idyllic beauty and makes
a good excursion from Kanchanaburi; the falls are widely celebrated
in Thai poetry and songs.
Website: www.kanchanaburi-info.com;
Opening time: JEATH War Museum: daily 8.30am to 6pm;
Admission: JEATH War Museum: B 30
