Eighty miles (130km) west of Bangkok, the town of Kanchanaburi
has secured its position of infamy as the original site of the
, where during World War II allied
prisoners of war were used by the Japanese to build the Death
Railway, killing thousands in the process. With its modern hotels
and welcoming air, Kanchanaburi seems an unlikely setting, but the
bridge is still in use and the graves of the Allied soldiers are
testament to the town's unfortunate past. Worth a visit is the
JEATH (Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland) War
Museum in Kanchanaburi, which recounts experiences in the Japanese
POW camps during the War. The Sai Yok Yai Waterfall in the Sai Yok
National Park is a place of idyllic beauty and makes a good
excursion from Kanchanaburi; the falls are widely celebrated in
Thai poetry and songs.
Opening Time: JEATH War Museum: daily 8:30am-6pm.
Admission: JEATH War Museum: THB 30