Wat Tham Suea (Tiger Cave temple)

Kanchanaburi - The Tiger Cave Temple, locally known as Wat Tham Suea, to reach the summit - we had to climb the 157 steep steps. 

157 steps up to the summit

At the hilltop, you will see the largest Buddha Image situated in the out-door area. This largest Buddha image, and was built in 1973. This Buddha image is about 18 meters high and 10 meters wide.

Beautiful view from the top

 

Willy, Lesley and I from the beautiful summit 

Hellfire Pass - Poppy remembrance day

Kanchanaburi - The Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre and Memorial Walking Trail was built and is maintained by the Australian Government. Opened 25 April 1998 and refurbished and rededicated on 12 December 2018, it's dedicated to the allied prisoners of war and Asian labourers who suffered and died at Hellfire Pass and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region during World War II.  

Poppy remembrance day

More than 60,000 Allied prisoners worked on the railway.  In 1946, the Allied War graves registration unit concluded that approximately 12,500 lost their lives, includes some 6300 British, 2800 Australia, 2500 Dutch and tens of thousands of Romusha (paid conscripted labourer).

Entrance to Hellfire pass

Hellfire Pass was 'lost' in the jungle for many years after 1945 and was rediscovered only in the 1980s. After World War II, most of the Burma-Thailand railway was dismantled.   The name 'Hellfire Pass' came from the appalling working conditions at the around this site.

Pathway down to the Hellfire pass

The Thais kept a 130km section of the railway operating in the south, but the rest of the railway, including Hellfire Pass (Konyu Cutting), disappeared beneath agricultural land, jungle and a major reservoir near the border with Myanmar (formerly Burma).  

Relics' of the railway, such as sleepers and rails were collected, and stairs were built down the steep slope from the road.

However, in the 1980s, Australian ex-prisoners started to return to Thailand. Like many veterans, they felt the need, as they grew older, to revisit the sites where they had felt such intense experiences 40 years earlier.

'Although it was not easy to locate, they found Hellfire Pass, full of tangled undergrowth.

Burma - Thailand railway for those that died building this railway

Kasae Caves and Tham Krasae Bridge (Death Railway bridge)

Kanchanaburi - Krasae Cave was once where POWs rest as it's located right next to the Death Railway. It is now a popular spot for visitors who take a walk on the railway and would stop by to pray toward a Buddha image enshrined within the cave.

The cave is within walking distance from the railway tracks of Tham Krasae Railway Station, the most beautiful view point along travelling by train.

Warning to be careful

Starting point of the Death Railway

This is a well-known viewpoint as it is considered the most beautiful and most dangerous point of the Bangkok Railway - Namtok, also known as "The Death Railway".

Beautiful view of the Death Railway

If you look down through the railway, you will see the Kwai Noi River flowing below, which needs to be especially careful. 

Death railway clinging along the steep cliff

Built over during World-war II of only 17 days during the spring of 1943, Tham Krasae Bridge is the longest railway bridge in Thailand and is one of the most famous; which is a part of the infamous Death Railway.

Dangerous Railway track

During World War II, Japanese occupiers used prisoners of the war as laborers to built a rail line connected from Myanmar to Thailand in order to keep supplies to their troop. More than 12,000 Allied laborers lost their lives while working on it.

Lunch @ Keeree Tara

Kanchanaburi - This popular restaurant that is near River Kwai had good reviews though expensive.

Address: 431, 1 River Kwai Rd, Ban Tai, Mueang Kanchanaburi District, Kanchanaburi 71000, Thailand

Egg omelette with prawn and crab

Snakehead fish with basil

Snakehead fish is ikan Toman - as the fish is deep fried it tasted dry.

Stir fried Pak Wan

Pak Wan is Sayur manis or Mani Cai or Sabah vegetable. 

Stir fried prawns with pomelo

This is a unique and tasty dish, the flavour was blended nicely.  The Pomelo gave a sweet taste to the dish and it goes well with the prawns.

Bridge over River Kwai

Kanchanaburi - Numerous books and films on this "Bridge over River Kwai' has made this location famous and attracted both Thais and foreigners.   

Bridge over River Kwai

This steel bridge is one of important historical landmarks and memorials in Thailand. It is almost a symbol of the province and is a recommended place in Kanchanaburi travel guide. The history of the bridge is well known, as it was part of the railway lines in World War II and had seen its share of conflict and bloodshed. 

After World War II, the damaged bridge was renovated by the Thai government in 1946. 

Along the train tracks, there are train platform in case you are not able to reach the other end of the tracks when the train passes.

Lesley and I on one of the train platform

Train is approaching

Death Railway Museum & Research Centre

 Kanchanaburi - It has been established to provide an unbiased, rounded and accurate account of the story of the Thailand to Burma Railway built in 1942/43 by Prisoners of War of the Imperial Japanese Army and by both forced and willing Asian laborers. Although not specifically a memorial, it facto is one. The object is to provide a center in Kanchanaburi that is part museum and part information and research facility, but devoted entirely to the Thailand-Burma Railway.

Located just opposite of the Kanchanaburi war cemetery.   Entrance fee is B150 per person plus free coffee or tea,

Entrance to Death Railway Museum

The two-story building includes an air-conditioned museum, coffee shop, toilet, and a small souvenir shop.

The railway was built to provide supplies to Japan’s troops during WWII, and was constructed using forced labour – by both Allied POWs and local civilians. As a feat of engineering it was an astounding accomplishment, with 415 kilometres of track and over 600 bridges thrown together with minimal time, tools, or supplies and in extremely harsh conditions.  The human cost was devastating around 100,000 lives were lost due to maltreatment and horrendous working conditions, lending the route to be called 'The Death Railway'.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery & Poppy Remembrance Day

 Kanchanaburi - A short drive from the Skywalk lies the Kanchanaburi war cemetery.  

The graves of those who died during the construction and maintenance of the Burma-Siam railway (except for the Americans, whose remains were repatriated) were transferred from camp burial grounds and isolated sites along the railway into three cemeteries at Chungkai and Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar.

Coincidentally, today is also poppy day or war remembrance day and many Australians and UK relatives of dead were at this cemetery for a remembrance service. 

plaque lies at the entrance of the cemetery

Graves of many servicemen 

There are now 5,085 Commonwealth casualties and 1,896 Dutch war graves of the Second World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 

memorial poppy 

Today is remembrance day

Skywalk over River Kwai

Kanchanaburi - The skywalk over River Kwai was recently opened on 11 September 2022.  The glass skywalk, a 12-metre high and 150-metre-long walkway along the bank of the River Kwai.  Entrance is B60 person.

View of the River Kwai

Another beautiful view of the river

The other end of the Skywalk

12m high skywalk

Lesley, Willy and I on the skywalk

JEATH War Museum

Kanchanaburi - We arrived at JEATH War museum at around 9am - The name JEATH is derived from countries engaged in the WWII death railway construction from 1942 to 1945: Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland.  Entrance is B50 per person.

Address: 2G8J+G7F, Ban Tai, Mueang Kanchanaburi District, Kanchanaburi 71000

JEATH museum entrance

Section 1 of the museum

There are 3 sections at this small museum and we are not allowed to take any photos at Section 2.   All the displays are old and in a worn out condition.

The museum building itself was also turned from the detention hut, used during that period.

Bomb that did not explode 

World Peace Memorial

Willy, Lesley and me