Bridge on River Kwai

A railway connection between Thailand and Burma was surveyed by the British at the beginning of the 20th century, but was considered too difficult to complete. Forced by military expediency, the Japanese dicided to build the railway in 1942, connecting Ban Pong with Thanbyuzayat by the Three Pagoda Pass.

Expected by Japanese engineers to take atleast five years to build, the 415 Km railway line was completed in 18 months, using 30,000 prisoners of war from England, Australia, Holland and America and more than 200,000 impressed labourers from India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma and Thailand. More than 16,000 PoW's and 100,000 impressed labourers succumbed to disease, deprivation and lack of medical attention.

Construction started simultaneously at the Thai and the Burmese side and was completed in October 1943, when the two lines met about 18 km south of the Three Pagoda Pass at Konkuita (Kaeng Khoi Tha in Songklaburi district of Kanchanaburi.)

Made famous by the 1957 movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, starring Alec Guiness and William Holden, the most famous part of the railway is the bridge over the Khwae Yai River, (River Kwai in the book by Pierre Boulle and the movie.)

Day trips by air-conditioned buses are available that include a ride on the death train, a scenic boat ride along the Maeklong River and a visit to the Allied Prisoners War cemetry. Longer 2-day and 3-day tours are also available.