Death Railway Bridge – A Historic Place To Visit
Kanchanaburi’s famous rail bridge is specifically famous for its horrifying history and stands as a strong remembrance of the WWII atrocities in Thailand. Although the central part of the bridge was destroyed during allied bombing during the war, the bridge is proper now as it had been repaired later on.
This 300m long bridge was built by allied prisoners of war to connect Thailand to Burma to supply Japanese forces in Burma during WWII. During the construction of the bridge, over 100,000 soldiers, forced laborers, and civilians died horrifying deaths from malnutrition, infection, inadequate medical support, and heat. The bridge owes its name to this painful history.
Category: Bridge, historical place
Address: Mueang Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Postal Code: 71000
The time you can spend here
Usually, visitors spend about 1-2 hours to explore this entire place loaded with lots of past history.
Visiting Hours
Sunday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Monday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Tuesday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Thursday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Friday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Saturday: 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Timings may vary on special days.
Must See
- Wampo viaduct
- JEATH War Museum
- Thailand-Burma railway center museum
- War Cemetery
- Entry Fee
- Entry to the death bridge is free but a tour on the train costs a few pennies.
How to reach
By Air
Travelers who are coming from the corner around the world can book emirates reservations to nearby Don Muang Airport (DMK). then, take the train to Kanchanaburi and the Bridge on the River Kwai using the Death Railway itself.
By train
Bangkok’s Thonburi station is 142 kilometers away from Kanchanaburi taking around 2 hours to reach and costs only 100 baht.
By cab
You can also hire a rental car in 1200 -1500 baht from Bangkok that is 180 kilometers away from Kanchanaburi and takes 3 hours to reach.
Tips for visitors
- Exploring the bridge area and surrounding spots may be challenging for people with limited mobility so plan accordingly.
- You can visit the War Museum on a train trip over the bridge when you visit the bridge.
- The best time to visit Thailand is from November to March when you can explore the bridge area smoothly without any interrupting rain or hot waves.
- A trip to Thailand’s death bridge without a tour guide is considered to be incomplete as they guide visitors about the war history of the place.
- A single daily train runs via the death bridge so plan accordingly.
- You can plan your trip in the first week of November or the last week of
- December if you wish to see the sound and light show on the death bridge.
- Be alert while over the bridge and if you see a train coming, quickly move to the safe spots.
- The safe spots are a few narrow spaces so quickly move to the safe spot before anything happens.
- Wampo viaduct is the forbidden part of the death bridge which is also a popular tourist spot in Kanchanaburi. But, be careful as this bridge is devoid of guardrails and handrails.
Attraction Write Up
A guided tour around the places of the death railway bridge is impeccable to know the history behind each site and the war atrocities of Burma and Thailand. If you are a history lover and loves to visit this kind of place. So, you can book American airlines reservations to nearby Don Muang Airport to reach this historic place to learn about the history of WWII and start exploring it.
An informative light and sound show accompanied by fireworks, food festival takes place during the first and last week of November and December respectively to commemorate the lives lost in the war.
Kanchanaburi province also houses other notable spots such as JEATH War Museum, Don-Rak War Cemetry, Hell Fire pass, Erawan National Park, Krasae Cave, Thailand-Burma railway center, Wampo Viaduct, and others that also deserve a visit to learn about the place’s history.
The train running over the death railway bridge reaches Nam Tok and can be used to travel to the War Museum and enjoy Thailand’s scenic beauty. The bridge itself overlooks a small Chinese temple from where the bridge’s view is amazing to look and click pictures.
