So this post captures the other side of my trip to Kanchanaburi…the Thai/Burmese Railway that was built during WWII to secure the movement of goods between Japan and Burma (now Myanmar). A sobering look back at history and the thousands of lives lost to build a railway linking Bangkok and Rangoon. The area I visited was particularly treacherous territory and POWs, slave and paid labourers from around Asia lost their lives building the railway. If you have watched the movie The Bridge Over the River Kwai – it is that slice of history that I got to explore over the last few days.
Video: Reaching the River Kwai Bridge by Speed Boat
Note that the movie depicts a timber bridge being built – there was originally a timber bridge 300m from this main steel bridge (used for moving supplies) – but Hollywood took a few creative liberties in their story telling – the main construction was this steel bridge, which was eventually destroyed by Allied bombers. The arched sections are original.
Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre is also a must see if you ever get to this part of the world – a section of the railway that required extensive manual cutting through the mountain to create the route.
Last, but certainly not least, we hopped on the train (The Death Railway) and rode a portion of the railway from Nam Tok through the countryside to a particularly treacherous viaduct. I think the train cars may have been as old as the railway 😂.
A Few Videos
Very cool! On the tours you are doing, where are the majority of people from? Meeting some interesting fellow tourists?
I would say mostly Europeans on my tours – met two really lovely families from the Netherlands while on the jungle trip and quite a few travellers from France and the UK. Really not many North Americans at this time of year – apparently they are more of a December to March crowd.
so interesting. I have seen the movie Bridge Over the River Kwai many times. Nice to now have a better sense of context. Are you dealing with the weather ok? How is the Pac working out?
Yes, adjusting to the hot weather, drinking lots of water and taking breaks when I need them. The PAC crossbody is the best piece of gear with me – the perfect size, lots of pockets – it goes with me everywhere – 10 out of 10 rating.
That’s incredible. I love learning about the historical events and places when I get to travel. What a sad piece of history for such a beautiful place. Thanks for the stories and videos!