In Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok, the iron bridge over the River Kwai (Khwae Yai) is a reminder of the Thailand-Burma Railway, built in 1942-1943 by Allied prisoners of war and Asian labourers conscripted by the Japanese army. The town brings together the bridge, the Commonwealth war cemetery, the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre museum and the JEATH museum. The SRT ordinary train leaves from Thonburi station, follows the "Death Railway" and crosses the bridge, then the Tham Krasae viaduct before the Nam Tok terminus. For foreigners, the ticket costs 100 baht whatever the distance; buses and minivans also leave from the Southern bus terminal. The bridge and the cemetery are free, and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre costs 160 baht.
Highlights
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The steel and concrete bridge, completed in June 1943 after a first wooden bridge, is made up of curved spans that the Japanese army had brought from Java. Bombed by the Allies in 1945, it lost two spans, replaced after the war by the two straight central spans, supplied by Japan as war reparations. You can walk across it on the side walkways; step aside when a train approaches. The river, then called the Mae Klong, was renamed Khwae Yai in 1960 to match the name made famous by Pierre Boulle's novel and David Lean's film.
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, it is the main cemetery for the prisoners who died on the railway: 6,982 graves, including 5,084 of Commonwealth soldiers and 1,896 of Dutch soldiers. The plaques lined up on the lawns give the name, unit, age and often an epitaph chosen by the family. It lies in town, a few minutes' walk from Kanchanaburi station; entry is free.
The Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
This air-conditioned museum, right next to the cemetery, traces the building of the 415 km line between Ban Pong and Thanbyuzayat, in Burma: of 61,811 Allied prisoners, 12,621 died, and around 90,000 Asian civilian labourers perished. Maps, models, objects and testimonies explain the working conditions and the route. Allow one to one and a half hours; a tea or coffee is included in the upstairs café.
The JEATH museum
Founded in 1977 by the Wat Chai Chumphon temple, south of the town centre, this small museum takes its name from the nationalities involved (Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand, Holland). It shows photographs, prisoners' drawings and objects in a reconstructed bamboo hut. More basic than the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, it takes half an hour to visit, and entry is paid in cash on site.
The railway to Nam Tok and the Tham Krasae viaduct
After the bridge, the ordinary train runs up the Khwae Noi valley for about one and a half hours to Nam Tok, the current terminus. The best-known stretch is the wooden Tham Krasae viaduct, clinging to the cliff above the river, which the train crosses at walking pace; a cave sheltering a Buddha image opens right next to the small station. Further on, the Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre, run by the Australian government, is open every day from 9am to 4pm, free of charge (closed for three weeks in May); Erawan National Park and its waterfalls cost 300 baht for foreigners. Both sites are reached by car or on an organised tour rather than by train.
Opening hours and prices
The bridge is accessible at all times and free of charge. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the war cemetery is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and on Saturday from 8am to 12pm; entry is free. The CWGC gives no Sunday opening, even though other sources say it is open: do not count on it that day. The Thailand-Burma Railway Centre is open every day from 9am to 4pm: 160 baht per adult, 80 baht for ages 7 to 12. The JEATH museum is open every day from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The SRT train costs foreigners 100 baht for any journey on the line.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The ordinary train only has third-class carriages, fan-cooled and without reservations: buy your ticket at the Thonburi counter on the day and arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. For a full day, take the 7:45am train to Nam Tok, leave again at 1pm, get off at the bridge (Saphan Kwae Yai station, around 2:34pm), then go on to the cemetery and the museums and return by bus or minivan: the last train to Thonburi leaves Kanchanaburi around 2:40pm. At the end of September 2026, flooding closed the section between Tha Kilen and Nam Tok, including the Tham Krasae viaduct, and trains terminated at Tha Kilen; no reopening date had been announced in early October 2026: check with the SRT (hotline 1690) before you go. Prices checked in October 2026.
How to get there
Bridge on the River Kwai, Tha Makham, Mueang Kanchanaburi district, 71000 Kanchanaburi, about 130 km west of Bangkok. By train: Thonburi station (Bangkok Noi) is reached by Chao Phraya express boat, Thonburi Railway pier (N11). Train no. 257 leaves every day at 7:45am and arrives in Kanchanaburi at 10:20am, at the bridge at 10:34am, at Tham Krasae at 11:38am and at Nam Tok at 12:05pm; no. 259 leaves at 1:55pm. Return on no. 258, leaving Nam Tok at 1pm and Kanchanaburi at 2:40pm, arriving at Thonburi at 5:40pm. Fare: 100 baht for foreigners. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, an SRT excursion train leaves Hua Lamphong station at 6:30am and serves Nakhon Pathom, the bridge, Tham Krasae and Nam Tok, returning in the evening: 120 baht return in a fan-cooled carriage, 240 baht in an air-conditioned carriage, booking required. By bus or minivan: frequent departures from the Southern bus terminal (Sai Tai Mai), in the Taling Chan district, to Kanchanaburi bus station; allow 2 to 3 hours and 110 to 180 baht depending on the company. On site: the cemetery and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre are close to Kanchanaburi railway station; for the bridge, take the train to Saphan Kwae Yai station, a songthaew or a tuk-tuk, or rent a bicycle.
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