By Rail To Bridge On The River Kwai
Kanchanaburi, Thailand
The Bridge On The River Kwai is located on the edge of Kanchanaburi, Thailand. I’ve previously written about the bridge and it’s history (Click here – Bridge On The River Kwai – for that article. ) This famous bridge is located approximately 123 kilometers from Bangkok, Thailand. It’s on the outskirts of the small city of Kanchanaburi where the rail line crosses the Kwai River. Visitors can make the drive from Bangkok in about two hours. But really, the bridge and it’s history are all related to railroads and the Death Railway. By far the best way to visit this bridge and the surrounding area is to take the train.
Traveling by rail from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, Thailand let’s the traveler slow down and soak up the experience. The train ride takes about 3 hours and gives riders a sense of the area. And the fare, at 100 baht (currently @ $2.83) means the ride will fit into anyone’s travel budget.
The video below – By Rail To The Bridge On The River Kwai – will give you a taste of what the train journey is like.
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Seems the author of the novel The Bridge On The River Kwai had never actually been to the location of his book. He was correct, the River Kwai is in the region and the infamous Death Railway does run parallel to the Kwai at points. But the actual bridge crossed the Mae Khlung River, not the Kwai. When the bridge became somewhat famous from the book and movie it seems travelers wanted to visit the Bridge On The River Kwai. To solve the confusion, the Thais came up with a rather ingenious solution. They renamed the river under the bridge as a portion of the River Kwai. What once was actually the Bridge On the River Mae Khlung became The Bridge On The River Kwai. Problem solved.
On the far side of the river there is now a beautiful and modern Buddhist Temple area.
View of Buddhist Temple from the bridge. The curved spans are original. The angular spans are newer construction after the center bridge spans were destroyed during bombing raids in WW II.
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Regardless of the accuracy of this side story – the building of the bridge and the allied prisoners’ work on the Death Railway in the region is a sad and memorable aspect of World War II. It’s a very worthwhile area to visit.
The main train station is in the small city of Kanchanaburi. You can also ride on a very short distance where the train again makes a 10 minute stop literally at the edge of The Bridge On The River Kwai so tourists can jump off and take photos.
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The Bridge On The River Kwai is part of the Burma-Thailand railway which completed the rail line between Bangkok, Thailand and Rangoon, Burma ( now Yangon, Myanmar.) It was constructed in 1942 and 1943 during World War II by American, Australian, British and Dutch Prisoners of War as well as conscripted nationals from Burma, Malay and Thailand. Over 12,000 prisoners died in the area during construction. The rail line was heavily damaged and in poor repair following the end of World War II. Today the line from Bangkok runs 123 kilometers westward to Kanchanaburi where the Bridge is located and continues on another 62 kilometers reaching its present terminus at Nam Tok, Thailand.
Travel from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi by car or train.
The center spans of the bridge were destroyed by Allied Bombing Raids in 1945. Only the outer curved spans are part of the original construction. The angular spans are newer replacement construction
The Kanchanaburi War Cemetary
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The Bridge On The River Kwai crosses the Kwai on the outskirts of Kanchanaburi, Thailand which is northwest of Bangkok. If you have limited time you can visit the Bridge as a day trip from Bangkok. Numerous travel companies offer day trip packages or you can drive the 123 kilometer distance in roughly two hours. But if you have the time I highly recommend taking at least two days to visit the area. Take the train to fully appreciate and enjoy the experience.
Would you like to know how to take a great train trip to visit The Bridge On The River Kwai and the surrounding area? Be sure to check back. I’ll be sharing travel details in an upcoming article.
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Visit The Bridge On The River Kwai – Take The Train – And Enjoy The Adventure!
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For more regarding The Bridge On The River Kwai and the area click on the links below for related articles:
Visit To Bridge On The River Kwai
Hellfire Pass on the Death Railway
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For more of my Travel Photography Images visit
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Click link below to Join the FACEBOOK GROUP
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