Kanchanaburi Hotels

Situated close to the Thai-Burmese border, Kanchanaburi is where the Japanese built the Bridge Over The River Kwai, for which the famous book and movie were created to dramatize its strategic importance. The bridge’s purpose was to enable trains supplying Japanese troops with weapons and provisions to travel between Burma and Singapore, at that time under Japanese control. Nicknamed the ‘Death Railway’, the Japanese chose to build a prisoner of war (POW) camp in Kanchanaburi to support the building of both the bridge and Hellfire Pass in the nearby hills. Today the POW camp museum and the reconstructed bridge have become the town’s foremost attractions.

Kanchanaburi Safari Park
A 25 mile (40km) drive from the town in the direction of Bo Phloi brings you to the Kanchanaburi Safari Park, a manmade facility housing a varied selection of wild animals. While the animal enclosures here are artificially landscaped, efforts have been made to mimic the natural habitats of each animal as closely as possible. From the safety of a hire car or tour bus, kids will revel in the sights of lions, tigers, bears, zebras, giraffes and other fascinating creatures. Some of the non-predatory animals are tame enough to be fed from the bus windows with the bowls of food on sale at the park. The parks other highlights include elephant, crocodile and dog shows plus themed sections such as the Butterfly Garden and Macaw Land. Phone: +66 34 531888; website: www.kanchanaburisafaripark.com/.

New Year’s Day:although Thai New Year isn’t celebrated until mid-April, the Gregorian New Year is nevertheless celebrated across the country. This day sees fireworks and festivities at the river and other key locations, with plenty of drinking and good spirit shared between locals and tourists. The following day is a chance to sleep off the excesses of the previous night before getting together with family and friends.

Bridge over the River Kwai
A title now synonymous with literature and Hollywood movies, the Bridge over the River Kwai is a genuine structure with an interesting historical story behind it. Built to assist the passage of the infamous ‘Death Railway’ between the banks of the Kwai Noi River, the original bridge was made from black iron that was imported from Indonesia and put together by POWs. The bridge was destroyed by Allied bomb attack in 1945, but was reconstructed after the war with some of the original sections being incorporated. No trip to Kanchanaburi is complete without taking in this structure. Visitors can enjoy a cool drink or a bite to eat any of a number of restaurants located at the riverside close to the bridge.

The airport is a relatively new facility, having opened in September 2006 and is a major Southeast Asian hub, serving over 85 airlines and more than 32 million passengers annually. A single compact terminal handles all aspects of air travel and includes seven levels and seven concourses. Departures are handled on level 4 and Arrivals on level 2.

Kanchanaburi is a safe town to visit but tourists should be aware of a few potential threats that might spoil holidays should they be encountered. Petty thieves present in Thailand, as in any country. As Kanchanaburi is a popular tourist destination, local miscreants here may well view visitors as easy targets. It pays to be alert at all times and to make sure cash and personal items are kept securely about your person.