Attractions information

Bridge over the River Kwai

The Bridge over the River Kwai was built during World War II for the Japanese Army using Allied POWs.

Altogether, 61,700 British, American, Australian, Dutch and New Zealand soldiers and a large number of Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Burmese and Indian labourers were involved.
Two bridges were actually built side by side. A wooden trestle bridge, which is no longer there, was completed in February 1943 and an eleven span steel bridge completed in April 1943.

This bridge had been dismantled by the Japanese and brought to Kanchanaburi from Java in 1942. The central spans were destroyed by Allied bombings and rebuilt by British Army Engineers immediately after the war.

It was part of the strategic railway linking Thailand with Burma. During the construction of the bridge over the Khwae Yai River - River Kwai as it is known among foreigners - the brutalities of war, disease and starvation claimed thousands of POWs lives.

The bridge was immortalised in the book by Pierre Boulle entitled The Bridge Over The River Kwai and later in the movie of the same name. Unfortunately, he had never been to Kanchanaburi or he would have known that the railway does not cross the River Kwai. It actually crosses the Mae Klong River, so the Thai authorities simply renamed the river to aid tourism!

Attractions information

Erawan National Park

Erawan National Park is 550 sq. km. of deciduous forest with high mountains and valleys, located in Kanchanaburi Province. The mountains protect the park from the eastern monsoon. Its major attraction is the Erawan Falls, a magnificent seven-tiered waterfall which you can climb if you feel inclined.

Erawan National Park is in the Tenasserim Mountain Range and is one of the finest natural attractions in the country. The park is best known for its seven-tiered waterfall topped by a rock formation shaped like a three-headed elephant. From its crest, clear water tumbles 1,500 meters down steep-sided cliffs in a series of cascades to rock pools shaded by dense foliage.

The park is open all year although the Rainy Season from May to October is not the best time to visit as there are frequent storms throughout that period. The Cool Season runs from November to January and this is a much more pleasant time to visit. February to April is the Hot Season and temperatures get quite high, but you have the pools at each level to cool off in!

The park contains five different wildlife habitats for mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds and freshwater fauna. There are elephants, tigers, sambar deer, wild boar, white-handed gibbon, langur, Siamese hare, red flying squirrels and king cobras to be found in the park.