The real Bridge on the River Kwai | Train from Bangkok to
Kanchanaburi & River Kwae
Take the train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and the
Bridge on the River Kwai . . .
Bangkok to the Bridge on the River Kwai by train:&
Two daily trains link Bangkok's Thonburi station with
Kanchanaburi & the Bridge on the River Kwai.&
The third class seats
on these trains are not
crowded.& Vendors sell drinks, fruit, food & beer, it's a very pleasant way to travel.
Above, the train from Bangkok
arrives at Kanchanaburi.& Most travellers use Kanchanaburi
as their base to explore the area, so alight here to find a
hotel.& If you're only doing a day trip, stay on board as
the train will stop at River Kwae Bridge station a few minutes
after leaving Kanchanburi...&&
The Bridge on the River Kwai,
seen from the Kanchanaburi end.& All trains call at River
Kwae Bridge station, located about 200 yards before the bridge,
a few minutes after leaving Kanchanaburi.& The Bridge is
now surrounded by cafes, restaurants, souvenir stalls etc.&
You can walk over the bridge,
even though it's still used by 3 trains each way every day.
The Bridge On the River Kwai,
in the afternoon sun from the Kanchanaburi side.& The
curved spans are 1943 originals, the 2 straight spans replaced
ones damaged by US bombs in 1945.
Another view
of the Bridge from the Kanchanaburi
Tourists walking across the
Bridge. River Kwai Bridge station is in the far background, just
before the bridge.
Take the train from
Kanchanaburi on to Nam Tok:&
The trains run beyond River Kwai Bridge station as far as Nam
Tok, crossing the Bridge itself () and later the equally impressive Wampo Viaduct on the
way.& This is a view of the Kwae Noi, soon after crossing
the infamous Bridge on the way to Nam Tok...
The train calls at Thamkrasae Bridge station,
just before the Wampo Viaduct...
Crossing the Wampo Viaduct:&
The train slows right down and carefully crosses the creaking
Wampo Viaduct alongside the River Kwae Noi.& The scenery is fabulous.&
Hellfire Pass:&
The operational railway ends at Nam Tok, but about 18km further
(80km from Kanchanaburi) on the disused section is Konyu Cutting,
aka Hellfire Pass, with its excellent museum...
The Death Railway:&
The Australian government has cleared 7km of the old track bed
north from Hellfire pass to Compressor Cutting.& Few
tourists take the time to walk it, but try and do so, as it's
both a moving experience and a pleasant walk through peaceful
shady jungle.& This is the view across
the Kwai valley...
Kanchanaburi,
the Bridge on the River Kwai & Hellfire Pass...
During World War 2, the Japanese used Allied prisoners of war to build a
railway from Thailand to Burma so they could supply their army without the dangers of sending supplies by sea.& Many prisoners
died under appalling conditions during its construction, and the
line became known as the 'Death Railway'.& It was
immortalised in David Lean's 1957 film 'The Bridge on the River
Kwai' which centres around one of the line's main engineering
feats, the bridge across the Kwae Yai river just north of
Kanchanaburi.& Although the film was shot in Sri Lanka, the
Bridge on the River Kwai really exists, and still carries regular passenger trains from Bangkok as far as Nam Tok.& For anyone
interested in 20th century history, a visit to Kanchanaburi and the
infamous Death Railway is a must.
This page gives all the necessary information for train travel
from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, the Bridge on the River Kwai & Nam Tok, along
with an overview of what there is to see in the area, including the
Bridge Over the
River Kwai, the Wampo (Wang Po) Viaduct and the museum at Hellfire Pass
(Konyu Cutting).& You can see the Bridge on the River Kwai as
a day trip from Bangkok using the morning train out and afternoon
train back, but it's better to make it a 2 or 3 day trip as there's a lot more to see than just the
Bridge.& For example, you could take the morning
passenger train from&Bangkok to Kanchanaburi on day 1, stay a
night or two in Kanchanaburi, then take the afternoon
train back on day 2 or 3, so you can visit Hellfire Pass
well known than the Bridge, but
not be missed) and travel the Death
Railway through fantastic scenery over the dramatic Wampo Viaduct as
far as its current terminus at Nam Tok.
Visiting the Death Railway...
Train travel in Southeast
Sponsored links...
:&Slow Train to the River Kwai...
From Bangkok:&
Something isn't quite
right about taking a tour bus to see the Death Railway and Bridge
on the River Kwai.& It's far more appropriate (and more fun!) to take the train
from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and the Bridge on the River Kwai, using
the Death railway itself.& Two trains a day leave Bangkok Thonburi station (also known as Bangkok Noi) on the
West side of the
river in Bangkok, for Kanchanaburi then River Kwai Bridge station (on
the Bangkok side of the Bridge a few minutes beyond Kanchanaburi),
then crossing the Bridge itself & running alongside the scenic River Kwae
over the Wampo Viaduct to Nam Tok.& The fare is only 100 baht
(?2 or $3).
The trains are 3rd class only, but don't let this put you off as they are
clean and comfortable, see the photo above right.& In fact, sitting next to an open window whilst clickety-clacking through the Thai countryside is easily the most
pleasant way to reach Kanchanaburi.&
There's no buffet car, but vendors walk up and down the train selling
soft drinks, beer, and pre-packed fruit and food.& The slices
of Pomelo are lovely, not too sweet and not too sour.& At weekends there's also a
From Singapore, Malaysia
or Southern Thailand:& You can travel to
Kanchanaburi & the River Kwai Bridge without going all the way
Bangkok and out again.& Express trains from Penang, Hat Yai, Surat Thani
& Hua Hin all stop at Nakhon Pathom, 64 km southwest of
Bangkok, where you can change onto the local trains to Kanchanaburi
(the actual junction between the Death Railway and the
Bangkok-Singapore main line is at Nong Pladuk, but express trains
don't stop there).&
for train times between
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang & Nakon
Pathom or the
for trains from Hat Yai, Surat Thani & Hua Hin to Nakon Pathom.&
Just remember the trains from the South can be 20 to 40 minutes late
or more, so don't plan any tight connections.&
&Bangkok ►
Kanchanaburi
Train number:
Bangkok Thonburi
Nakhon Pathom
Pladuk junction
Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi
River Kwae Bridge
Thamkrasae Bridge
IMPORTANT IF TRAVELLING 1 JUNE TO
31 JULY 2015:& Due to a (welcome) rebuild of the line between Nong Pladuk &
Kanchanaburi, no trains will run over this section between 1 June and 31 July
2015.& Trains will continue to run between Bangkok & Nong Pladuk and
between Kan'buri & Nam Tok.
The Bridge on the
River Kwai is just beyond River Kwae Bridge station towards
The Wampo (Wang
Po) Viaduct is between Thamkrasae Bridge & Wang Po.
Tourist coach attached River Kwae - Nam Tok, 300 baht:& For 300 baht you can travel in a special foreign
tourist car attached to train 257/258 between River Kwae Bridge and Nam Tok.&
Billed as the Trans-River Kwai Death Railway it's exactly the same as the regular 100 baht cars, but you get a seat cushion,
small boxed snack, water and a certificate.& You buy tickets from a special
booth at the opposite end of the platform from the regular ticket office, next
to the Tourist Police booth.& Operated by Train Travel Tour Co Ltd, a
subsidiary of the State Railways of Thailand.
Weekend excursion train:&
On Saturdays, Sundays & holidays there's also an excursion
railcar from Bangkok to River Kwai Bridge, Nam Tok &
Kanchanaburi, .
&River Kwai
Kanchanaburi ► Bangkok&&
Train number:
Thamkrasae Bridge
River Kwae Bridge
Kanchanaburi arrive
Kanchanaburi
Pladuk junction
Nakhon Pathom (for trains
to South) arrive
Bangkok Thonburi
station arrive
Bangkok to Kanchanaburi is 100 baht (?2 or $3) each way.
Bangkok to Nam Tok is also 100 baht (?2 or $3) each way.
Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok is also 100 baht (?2 or $3) each way.
No reservation necessary,
just turn up, buy a ticket, hop on.
The luxury
option:&The Eastern & Oriental Express...
There's one other way to visit the Bridge
on the River Kwai, and it's the luxury option.& The superb
links Singapore with Bangkok up to 3 times
each month, and it makes a detour to the Bridge on the River Kwai on
the way, with time to get off and visit the bridge.& A
Singapore-Bangkok journey costs around ?1,200 per person for 3 days,
2 nights, all meals & afternoon tea.& For this luxury option,
or browse inclusive tours incorporating this train at .
to see around Kanchanaburi...
Kanchanaburi -
this is the area's main town, with Allied war cemeteries.&
Most hotels are located here.
The Bridge On the River Kwai -
the Bridge is 5 km beyond
central Kanchanaburi, and is now surrounded by cafes, shops and
small museums.& You can walk over the Bridge (watch out for trains!) or cross it by
train when travelling between Kanchanaburi & Nam Tok.& The
Bridge has its own station, River Kwae Bridge station is about
200 yards before the Bridge at the Bangkok end.
Wampo viaduct
(Wang Po) - also built by prisoners of war, and also still in
use by regular passenger trains.& The best way to see it is
to take a train from Kanchanaburi or River Kwae Bridge station
to Nam Tok.
Hellfire Pass (Konyu Cutting) - Beyond Nam Tok, the line onwards to the Three
Pagodas Pass into Burma is closed and the track lifted.& 80 km (50
miles) beyond Kanchanaburi (approximately 10km or 6 miles beyond Nam Tok)
Konyu Cutting, dubbed Hellfire Pass by Allied prisoners.& Here
is a museum, and a 7 km stretch of the trackbed beyond Konyu Cutting
has been cleared of jungle by the Australian government as a
memorial, of which 4 km is currently open to the public.& You can walk this
4 km section if you like,
a moving and highly-recommended experience.
The Burma-Siam
Death Railway...
The Death Railway starts
at Nong Pladuk, a junction on the Bangkok to Singapore main line
some 80km west of Bangkok.& The line heads northwest to Kanchanaburi,
over the Bridge on the River Kwai, along the Kwae Noi ('Little
Kwai') and over the Wampo Viaduct to Nam Tok, the current terminus
for passenger trains.& From Nam Tok, the disused track bed heads on to Konyu
Cutting ('Hellfire Pass') and through the Three Pagodas Pass into
Burma (Myanmar) and onwards to Moulmein.& The Japanese used
Thai forced labour to construct the section from Nong Pla Duk to
Kanchanaburi, and Allied prisoners of war for the section from
Kanchanaburi onwards to Burma.& The line was completed in 1943,
and like all the railways in Burma and Thailand, it was built to the
metre gauge, much narrower than European standard gauge.&
Passenger trains still run from Bangkok to Nam Tok, but the section
from Nam Tok to Moulmein is disused and the track has been lifted.
on the River Kwai...
Or is it?& There is a slight technical problem with
the Bridge on the River Kwai:& It crosses a river all right,
but not the
River Kwai.& Pierre Boulle, who wrote the original book, had
never been there.& He knew that the 'death railway' ran parallel
to the River Kwae for many miles, and assumed that it was the Kwae
which it crossed just North of Kanchanaburi.& He was wrong - It
actually crosses the Mae Khlung.& When David Lean's blockbuster
came out, this gave the Thais something of a problem.& Thousands of
flocked to see the Bridge on the River Kwai, and they
got one, all they had was a bridge over the
Mae Khlung.&
So, with admirable lateral thinking, they renamed the river.&
Since 1960, the
Mae Khlung has been known as the Kwae Yai ('Big Kwae') north of
the confluence with the Kwae Noi ('Little Kwae'), including the bit
under the infamous Bridge.
The Bridge on the River
Kwai is about 5 km from the centre
of Kanchanaburi.& By all means wait for one of the three daily passenger trains, all of
which call at the River Kwae Bridge station, but it's best to take a
cycle rickshaw.& The Bridge is now surrounded on the Kanchanaburi side by a
museum, cafes, shops and a couple of steam locomotives on static
display.& You're free to walk across the bridge on the wooden planks,
but remember to stand aside for the passenger trains when one comes along.&
If this sounds foolhardy, remember that there is a 10 km/h speed
restriction for trains across the bridge, and they all hoot like mad.
There were actually two bridges here, both
built by prisoners of war - The first (wooden) bridge was completed in February
1943, superseded a few months later by the steel bridge which you see
today.& The curved steel bridge spans are original, and were brought from Java by the
Japanese.& However, the two straight-sided spans
come from Japan, and were installed after the war to replace spans destroyed by
allied bombing in 1945.
Make sure you ride the train between
Kanchanaburi (or River Kwae Bridge station) and the
current terminus of the operational railway at Nam Tok.& As well as crossing the famous Bridge
on the River Kwai,
the train runs along the beautifully scenic River Kwae, passing at
slow speed over the impressive Wampo Viaduct (sometimes
written Wang Po), also built by prisoners of war.& The viaduct
consists of wooden trestles alongside the river, nestling against
the cliff side.
(Konyu Cutting)...
Another must-see is Hellfire
Pass, or to give it its proper name, Konyu Cutting.& This is
located about 80 km (50 miles) north of Kanchanaburi, on the disused section
of line beyond Nam Tok.& Here, the Australian government has cleared
about 7km of the old track-bed as a memorial to the 13,000 allied
prisoners and 80,000 Asian labourers who died building the railway - though only
4 km is currently open to the public.& The site includes the Hellfire Pass itself (Konyu
Cutting, dubbed 'Hellfire Pass' by the PoWs for the way the worksite
looked at night by torchlight, and pictured right).& A taxi and driver for half-day
from Kanchanaburi will cost about ?35, and you can ask the driver to
drop you at Nam Tok on the way back, to return to Kanchanaburi or Bangkok by the
12:55 or 15:15 train.& There are one-day organised tours from Kanchanaburi,
but these typically get only 30 minutes at Hellfire Pass, only enough to see the pass
itself.& If you go independently, you
can walk past the locations of 'Three Tier Bridge' & the 'Pack of
Cards' bridge several km northwest of the visitor centre.& The peaceful
walk through the warm shady jungle along the disused track-bed, past small
cuttings and dips where the wooden viaducts used to be, is a very moving
experience.
You could spend weeks exploring this beautiful area, but most people
have limited time so here are idea on how to incorporate Kanchanaburi
& the Bridge on the River Kwai into your trip to Thailand.
As a day trip from Bangkok, using the daily local trains...& If all you can spare is one
day, you can see the infamous
Bridge on the River Kwai as a day trip out of Bangkok for just 200 baht (?4 or $6),
using the 07:45 passenger train from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to
River Kwae Bridge station and returning on the afternoon train.&
The trains run daily, with enough time to see and walk across the Bridge, and
perhaps take a cycle rickshaw to the war graveyard in central
Kanchanaburi and boarding your return train there.&
.& You won't get to see Hellfire pass
this way, or travel along the Kwai
Bridge to Nam Tok section of line, although you could choose to travel
Bangkok-Nam Tok and back instead of spending time at Kanchanaburi.&
That way you'd cross the Bridge on board a train, and see the line &
scenery all the way to Nam Tok.
As a day trip from Bangkok, using the weekend railcar excursion
train...& On
Saturdays, Sundays & Thai national holidays, there's a tourist railcar
excursion train from Bangkok's main Hualamphong station, costing just
120 baht.&
It allows time for you to see and walk across the Bridge, then travel
across the Bridge by train and along the scenic line via the Wampo
Viaduct to Nam Tok before returning to Bangkok with a visit to the Kanchanaburi
war graveyard on the way.& A good option if you've only a day to
spare and can arrange to go on a Saturday or Sunday.&
.& Though you won't
get to see Hellfire pass on this trip.
As a day trip, using the weekend railcar to River Kwae Bridge then
scheduled trains to Nam Tok & back to Bangkok.& On
Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays, you could take the 06:30
railcar excursion train (120 baht) from Bangkok's main Hualamphong
station as far as River Kwae Bridge, spend an hour there and pick up
the following daily local train from Bangkok to Nam Tok (show your
excursion train ticket), returning on the same local train back to
Bangkok (100 baht).& This gets you some time at River Kwae
Bridge, and gets you to Nam Tok over the Wampo Viaduct, but returns
you to Bangkok a couple of hours earlier than using the railcar for
the round trip.& .&
2-day trip from Bangkok...& The area really warrants at
least a 2-day trip, so you can get to Hellfire Pass as well as
Kanchanaburi.& On day 1,
catch the 07:45 train
from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to Kanchanaburi for 100 baht (?2 or
and order a taxi to Hellfire Pass (about ?35 or $45 hire for a half
day).& On the return journey from Hellfire Pass, get the taxi to drop you at Nam Tok
station in time for the 15:15 passenger train along the scenic Kwae Noi river,
over the Wampo Viaduct and across the Bridge back to Kanchanaburi.& Day 2, explore Kanchanaburi & the Bridge area, then
take the lunchtime train back to Bangkok.&
3-day trip from Bangkok...& Less rushed than the 2-day
version!& On day 1, you could catch the 07:45 or
13:45 train
from Bangkok (Thonburi station) to Kanchanaburi for 100 baht.&
Day 2, take a taxi to Hellfire pass (?35 or $45 for half day hire),
then on the return get the taxi to drop you at Nam Tok
station and take the afternoon passenger train along the scenic Kwae
Noi river, along the Wampo Viaduct and over the Bridge back to
Kanchanaburi.& Day 3, take the morning or lunchtime train back to
Bangkok.& .
Watch the Video:&
Watch the Video:&
Read more about the Death Railway, Hellfire Pass & the Bridge on the
River Kwai...
To learn more about the history of the
Burma-Siam Death Railway and the Bridge on the River Kwai, 'River
Kwai Railway' by Clifford Kinvig is highly recommended.&&If you haven't read it
already, Eric Lomax's The Railway Man is amazing,
the true story of his experience on the Death Railway and his reconciliation
with the Japanese interpreter who tortured him.& It's now a major film with
Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, but although the film is excellent I'd say it
struggles to achieve the same power as Eric Lomax's book.
Now watch the film:&
on Saturdays, Sundays & holidays
Weekend excursion railcar:&
The weekend excursion train from Bangkok crosses the Bridge on
the River Kwai...
In addition to these
regular daily passenger trains, there is
special tourist railcar for day trippers on Saturdays, Sundays &
holidays.& It has 3rd class
non-air-con seats, although some seats have more padding than others
as they were originally classified 2nd class.& As you can
imagine from the amazingly cheap price, it's mainly aimed at Thai
tourists and day trippers rather than rich westerners, but anyone
can use it, either for the whole itinerary or as a useful extra
early train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi & the Bridge on the River
Kwai.& The itinerary looks
like this (please
double check exact times locally - you'll be given a photocopied sheet
showing the itinerary after you board):
06.30 depart Bangkok
Hualamphong station, Saturdays & Sundays only.
07:40 arrive Nakhon Pathom,
40 minute stop to visit the great Chedi (cone-shaped temple).
09.27 arrive Kanchanaburi, very short stop.
09.35 arrive River Kwai Bridge station & stop for 25 minutes.
10.00 depart River Kwai Bridge station, cross the Bridge & head along
the River Kwae via the impressive Wampo Viaduct.
11.30 arrive Nam Tok station.&
11:30 arrive Nam Tok Sai Yok
Noi.& This is the only train to run beyond Nam Tok to the end of
the operational line.& Time to see the scenic waterfall.
14:25 leave Nam Tok Sai Yok
14.25 leave Nam Tok station heading back south.
15.53 arrive at Kanchanaburi station and stop for 60 minutes for a
visit to the war graves.
16.53 leave Kanchanaburi.
19.25 arrive back in Bangkok Hualamphong station.
The round trip fare is 120 baht 3rd class non-air-con
or 240 baht 2nd class air-conditioned, reservation
required before departure although it's reported that in practice you
can just get on and pay on the train.& You may well find plenty
of seats available between Bangkok and Kanchanaburi & River Kwae
Bridge station, but all seats fully-booked from River Kwae onwards.& For information, see
and look for the Sai Yoke
Waterfall trip under 'Travel by Train'.& If you've limited time, this might be a good
option, though you won't get to see Hellfire Pass & its museum.
You should take a good
guidebook.&Easily the best guidebooks for independent travel are the
Lonely Planets and Rough Guides.& Both have stacks of practical
information plus historical and cultural background.& You won't
regret buying one of these guides!
Click the images to buy
online at Amazon.co.uk
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Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
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Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
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you live in
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If you live in the USA try
Carry a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.&
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
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some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others.& Martin Lewis's
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overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use
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You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see
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