"Kanchanaburi" a Kanchanaburi Travel Page by leffe3

Kanchanaburi is synonymous with the book and film 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', the story of the British POWs in the Thai/Burmese jungles forced to build the Railway of Death under the cruelty of the Japanese Imperial army,w here more than 100,000 POWs lost their lives building the railway. It was at Kanchanburi, where the rivers Kwae Yai and Kwae Noi merge to form the Mae Klong River, that the Japanese chose to build the bridge.

But Kanchanaburi has its own colourful history prior to WWII. Built as it is at the base of the Three Pagodas Pass, the town was the first Thai line of defence against potential invasion from the Burmese army and the portection of Bangkok. Established by King Rama I in the late 18th century, the area has a long history of skirmishes between the Thais and the Burmese, and even today there are issues (although it is mainly used today as a smuggling route).

But it is the events of WWII are the main reason for coming to the town, and there are monuments, museums and cemeteries all around the region comemorating the events of 1942-1943: the 'Death Railway' has become the iconic legacy of Kanchanaburi.

As a major tourist attraction, there are plenty of optins available for the independent traveller (and even more options if you want to travel as part of an organised tour).
Trains are the cheapest option (50B) from Bangkok, but there's only 2 a day (7.30am amd 1.45pm), they take 3.5 hours and leave from the Thonburi station.
1st class a/c bus leaves from the Southern Bus Terminal every 15 minutes from 5.30am, takes 2 hours and is 99B.
2nd class a/c also leave from Southern Terminal every 20 minutes, take 2 hours and cost 83B.
2nd class a/c leave the Northern Bus Terminal but this is a 4 hour journey and costs 105B.