Attractions in Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi outside the Town Hall is a bustling area. The river bank functions like the town's main street, with busy ferry landings, floating restaurants serving succulent freshwater fish and as the launching pier for Kanchanaburi's notorious disco rafting parties.

The river at this point broadens up to a width of almost a kilometer. It is here that the floating disco party special, a popular local outing, originated. The party venue is on a pair of big two storey rafthouses floating in tandem, one serving as restaurant and the other a disco floor with powerful disco noise boxes. A tugboat tows out the floating partyhouse pier down or up river to make merry out in the open waterway. While in the city, dining or lunching on the floating restaurants lining the riverbank is an unforgettable experience for the succulent freshwater fish and the local scene. Ferries laden with farmers, their bikes and pickups ply the crossing every few minutes. An enlivening spectacle for diners is the departure of the disco party rafts, floating their merry ways down river until disappearing around the bend with their noisy music still reverberating over the water.

Kanchanaburi Kanchanaburi borders with Myanmar (Burma). A rugged mountain range, the Tennasarim, and almost impregnable jungle separate the two countries. British engineers surveyed the indomitable terrain’s in 1905 for a projected rail route and forthwith declared impossible to build. The Japanese army did it in 17 months in war-time conditions. A grim toll of over 100,000 lives was sacrificed to the harsh conditions, mostly sickness, through malnutrition, lack of medicine and medical care, resulting in epidemics which wiped out campfulls of POW's and laborers by the thousands.

Every year, on April 25, friends and relatives of the Allied POW's come to visit their graves. The main cemetery is opposite Kanchanaburi train station with 6,982 copper-plaque tombstones. An other is at Chungai district across the River Kwai with 1,750 headstones. The cemeteries are immaculately tended all year round.

[ The Bridge Over the River Kwai ]
Bridge Over the River Kwai The bridge was constructed with dismantled steel spans brought over from Java. Two of the original spans, with round shape, were knocked down by Allied bombings to disrupt the death railway operation. The fallen round spans were then replaced with angular spans as appear at present.

A unique war-train museum stands at the foot of the bridge. The significant exhibit is a rail convoy truck fixed with railway wheels, which bespeaks of the ingenuity of the engineers of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Annual Light and Sound Festival is held in the first week of December at the bridge site, re-enacting the bombing of the bridge for local and foreign tourists.

[ War Museum ]
War MuseumThe museum, located near the River Kwai Bridge, displays the collection of weapons, tools and utensils of the Allied prisoners of war and Japanese soldiers during the Second World War.

[ Jeath Museum ]
The museum was built by a monk of Wat Chai Chumpol in the form of a replica of Allied POW's quarters in a Death Railway detention camp - a long bamboo hut with earthen floor, like a henhouse. Raised narrow bamboo bunks lining the two walls, serving as the living space.
Jeath MuseumJEATH is the acronym of the nations involved in the Death Railway construction, namely :
Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland.

On the walls are enlarged reproductions of photos taken during the railway construction and also paintings of the atrocities inflicted on the POW's. There are also collections of World war II Artifacts found in the area, including the blown-out shell of the bomb that was supposed to have downed the Bridge Over the River Kwai.

[ The Death Railway ]
Death RailwayThe Death Railway line is still in operation. The rail line snakes through scenic and thrilling natural terrain. The whole train, hugging the mountainside at a dizzy height over raging river far below, creeps over the World War II rail line laid on creaking wood-trestles.
The Death Railway train ride runs on a regular schedule. The train leaves Kanchanaburi Station at 10.31 am., chugs over the Bridge on the River Kwai at 10.35am., or thereabout, en route Namtok Station at 12.30pm There is a combination tour to the renowned Saiyoke Waterfall. Picnic on the train is not frowned upon.

[ Kanchanburi Town Gate ]
This is the remain of Kanchanaburi town built in 1833 during the reign of King Rama III. It is located on Lak Muang Road near the meeting point of the Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi Rivers.

[ The Death Railway ]
Chong Kai War CemeteryOn Saeng Chuto Road, opposite the railway station, it contains the remains of 6,982 prisoners of war who perished during the construction of the "Death Railway".

[ The Chong Kai War Cemetery ]
2 kilometers south of town, on the bank of the Kwai Noi River, this occupies the former site of the Chong Kai Prisoner of War Camp. This second cemetery is more peaceful, attractively landscaped, and contains some 1,750 remains.

[ Wat Tham Mankhon Thong ]
Situated 4 kilometers from town on the bank of the Kwai Noi River. It is well known for the incredible performance of the nun floating in a deep pool. There is a small museum where a variety of ancient objects found in the area are on display.

[ Wat Tham Phu Wa ]
Wat Tham Phu waThe monastery in natural surroundings, famous for meditation, is 15 kilometers away from the provincial capital. There is a beautiful cave with plenty of stalactites.

[ Somdet Phra Sri Nakarin Park ]
Situated in Kanchanaburi’s Agricultural College at Tambon Nong Ya, 9 kilometers from town, it is also known as "the Stone Garden" which abounds with stones of different sizes and shapes in its large area.

[ Wat Tham Sua and Wat Tham Khao Noi ]
Wat Tham Sua and Wat Tham Khao NoiLocated at Tambon Muang Chum, 4 kilometers beyond Wachiralongkorn Dam, these two adjacent temples house very beautiful Thai and Chinese style buildings and huge Buddha images situated on the mount.

[ Ban Kao National Museum ]
Ban Kao National MuseumThe museum, some 35 kilometers from town, was constructed beside a Neolithic burial site discovered by Dutch prisoners of war during the construction of the "Death Railway". Specimens of Neolithic remains are on display. It is open from 9.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday to Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

[ Kanchanaburi Cultural Centre ]
The collection center of human life styles from the past till the present is displayed at the Rajpatara Institute of Kanchanaburi, 14 kilometers out of town on the route to Sai Yok.

[ Wat Pa Lelaib ]
This monastery is 18 kilometers away from the provincial capital. It is located at Tambon Lat Ya which once was an ancient border town involved in battles between the Thai and the Burmese during the Ayutthaya period to the early Bangkok period. Another nearby temple called Wat Khun Phaen houses a ruined pagoda dating back to the early Ayutthaya period.

[ Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park ]
Prasat Muang Sing Historical ParkAbout 8 kilometers from the Baan Kao National Museum, on Highway 323 between Kanchanaburi and Sai Yok, lies Muang Singh Historical Park. Here you can find the ruins of a 16-18th century castle surrounded by a moat and multi - tiered earthen wall.
□ The park is open for tourists everyday from 09.00-16.30 hours. The admission fee is 40 bath.

On the same route, about 20 kilometers, you can visit the Sai Yok Noi waterfall (Khao Phang) and further40 kilometers is the Sai Yok Yai National Park where the Sai Yok Yai Waterfall (Khao Jone) is located.
These are favorite spots for sightseeing, picnicking and swimming.

Sai Yok Noi Waterfall Those who enjoy swimming in hot springs may travel to km. 107 and visit The Hindad Hot Springs.

[ Sai Yok Noi Waterfall ]
Also known as Khao Phang Waterfall, about 60 kilometers from town on Highway 323. The roadside cascade is best visited between July - October, when water is most plentiful, and is located 2 kilometers northwest of Nam Tok Railway Station, the terminus of the branch line originating in the provincial capital and which crosses the world-famous bridge.

[ Sai Yoke National Park ]
Sai Yok Yai WaterfallSai Yoke National Park, called the classic Waterfall of Thailand because its beauty is the theme of an immortal classic Thai song composed by a renowned artist prince almost a century ago. He had his inspiration when viewing waterfalls from a boat, seeing the water tumbling and splashing down from a high cliff bank. The vantage point to fully appreciate he great waterfalls is still from a boat in the river.

[ Sai Yok Yai Waterfall ]
A part of Sai Yok National Park, 104 kilometers from town on Highway 323. This flows directly into the Kwae Noi River, and is the most popular in the 300 square-kilometer of the park. Sai Yok National Park contains several interesting caves which also entails a river trip for visits. Human presence at Sai Yok is known to date back to the Stone Age, and the Sai Yok Waterfall has been repeatedly celebrated in Thai poetry and song. Bungalow accommodations, raft houses and camping sites are available.

Lawa Cave[ Lawa Cave ]
75 kilometers from town, and about 50 meters from Kwae Noi riverside. Visitors may take boats from Pak Saeng Pier (southwest of Nam Tok Railway Station and Sai Yok Noi Waterfall) or by car across the bridge at Ban Kaeng Ra Boed. It is the biggest interesting cave in the area and has stalactites and stalagmites in
several chambers and peculiar by nature creation.

[ Dao Wa Dung Cave ]
Located about 1 kilometer near the bank of Kwae Noi River, 110 kilometers from the city, visitors can go by boat from Pak Saeng Pier or Sai Yok Yai Waterfall. Stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave are wonderful and make the beautiful scene.

[ Kra Sae Cave ]
Situated at the curving Kwae Noi River, a wooden viaduct of the "Death Railway", on the bank of Kwae Noi River, about 55 kilometers out of town. This cave is where a Buddha image placed inside.

[ Hell Fire Pass ]
Hell Fire PassA part of the Death Railway, constructed during the Second World War and now abandoned, is located in the thick forest near km. 66 of Sai Yok – Thong Pha Phum Road. A long passage made through the stone mountain by the Allied prisoners of war indicated the extreme difficulty in constructing the Death Railway.


Bordering Burma, this district is about two-hundred-and-twenty kilometers from Kanchanaburi and seventy-four kilometers from Thong Pha Phum. Populated mostly by Mon and Karen people, the town is located at the confluence of three waterways : Songkalia, Bikli and Runtee.

[ Wat Wang Wiwekaram ]
Wat Wang Wiwekaram9 kilometers from the town is the famous Wang Wiwekaram Temple, diocese of the revered Uttama Abbot. This extensive temple on the southern outskirts of Sangkhlaburi edges the Khao Laem reservoir. The complex is constructed in an unusual mix of Thai, Indian and Burmese Buddhist architectural styles, and the abbot “Luang Pho Uttama”is highly revered among local people including tribal folks and Burmese.
Near here, tourists may rent low cost accommodations at Sangkhlaburi cottages beside a running brook.

[ Mon bridge ]
Mon bridgeIt is the longest wooden bridge in Thailand linking Sangkhla Buri and Mon Villages. The bridge overlooks a scenic landscape and offers and opportunity to see local people’s way of life.

[ Ta Kian Thong Waterfall ]
Many tiered beautiful waterfall is about 250 kilometers from Kanchanaburi town . Traveling on Sangkhlaburi -Three Pagodas Pass route and turn right about 10 kilometers, then go on foot for 40 minutes to the waterfall.

[ Dai Chong Thong Waterfall ]
Dai Chong Thong Waterfall Located near Kroeng Kravia Waterfall , on the same route, and the left turn about 2 kilometers. It's a rather big waterfall which run into the lake of Khao Laem Dam.

[ Kroeng Kra Via Waterfall ]
A little beautiful waterfall is located near Thong Pha Phum - Sangkhlaburi road, about 32 kilometers from Thong Pha Phum or 190 kilometers from Kanchanaburi town.

[ Three Pagodas Pass ]
Three Pagodas Pass22 kilometers from Sangkhla Buri, the three miniature pagodas are memorials of an important route of the troops during the wartime of the Ayutthaya period. It also marks the rugged Thai-Myanmar border and is the site of a small thriving border marker. Visitors are allowed to enter the neighboring Burmese settlement.

[ Sangkhlaburi Forest Tours ]
Certain Kanchanaburi travel agents offer elephant-trekking and rafting tours in immediate vicinity of Sangkhlaburi. Visitors are advised to contact either local travel agents or the Kanchanaburi Tourist Information office for current details, since the tours are not always conducted on a daily basis.



The north of the town’s province and 130 kilometers away, the district is full of beautiful golf courses and well known natural attractions; Erawan Waterfall, Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall, Pra That Cave, Than Lot Cave, etc. The lake of Sri Nakarin Dam is for water sports and fishing.
It is the place where raft houses and floating houses are well prepared for welcoming visitors.

[ Sri Nakharin National Park (Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall) ]
This park covers 1,532 square-kilometers. Park headquarters are 105 kilometers from Kanchanaburi. Major park attractions include the lovely 7- tiered Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall, boat trips on the scenic reservoir, and encroaching deciduous forest and bamboo groves where kingfishers, babblers and numerous other birds species are readily seen. Larger, more elusive mammals within the park's remoter areas include deer, elephants and tigers. Phra and Niramit Caves near the park headquarters comprise other attractions. Bungalow accommodations are available. The park's relative inaccessibility necessitates either a punishing 40-kilometre drive along a dry weather track, and negotiable only by motorcycles, pickup or 4-wheel-drive vehicles, or a 45-75-minute boat ride from the Tha Kradan Pier 24 kilometers north of the Sri Nakharin Dam.

[ Erawan National Park ]
Erawan National Park 65 kilometers from Kanchanaburi along Highway 3199, this 500-square-kilometre national park is the site of the Erawan Waterfall, widely regarded as being one of Thailand's loveliest cascades. Seven tiers of sparkling water cascade down grand stairways of mossy boulders framed by ivy curtain and green jungle growth. There are scores of pools along the down stream, where one can take a cool plunge in the refreshing spring water.

A mountainside forest setting includes dense bamboo groves which support numerous bird species. Bungalow accommodations and camping are available.
□ The falls season is between September and December. It is best to visit the park on weekdays to avoid the holiday crowd.

[ Pra That Cave ]
Pra That CaveLocated in Erawan National Park, 76 kilometers from the city, and just 10 kilometers north of Erawan Waterfall. It's the most beautiful cave in Kanchanaburi. The stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave were created wonderfully by nature.

[ Sri Nakharin Dam ]
3 kilometers from Erawan Waterfall, this hydro-electric power plant project is situated on Kwae Yai River. This massive structure marks the southernmost extremity of an extensive reservoir. The location of Sri Nakharin Dam is very beautiful wide lake with many resorts and raft houses, natural surrounding good for fishing above the dam site.


Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park (Than Lod Cave)
[ Chaloem Rattanakosin National Park (Than Lod Cave) ]
This interesting attraction is 97 kilometers from Kanchanaburi town, and north of Bo Phloi District, along Highway 3086. This 54-square-kilometre park encompasses peaceful forests, waterfalls and several caves. The 300-metre long Than Lod Noi Cave near the park headquarters is the most popular attraction, and some 2.5 kilometers walk to Than Lod Yai. Than Ngoen, Than Thong and Trai Trueng waterfalls are in the area of the park. Bungalow accommodations and camping are available.

[ Wat Tham Khao Noi ]
Located at Tambon Muang Chum, Tha Muang District, about 4 kilometers away from Vajiralongkorn Dam, the monastery was constructed in the form of Chinese architecture and cultural art.

[ Wat Tham Sua ]
It's close to Wat Tham Khao Noi. The monastery was constructed in Thai architectural style. The Great Buddha image and pagoda placed in the temple is uniquely beautiful and is respected by all Buddhists.


Thong pha PhumIt is about 159 kilometers away from the province town. On route 323. The district landscape is forestry and mountainous. There are a lot of natural attractions worth visiting such as Pha Tat Waterfall, Hin Dad Hot Springs etc. It places a lot of National Parks and the World heritage The Yai Naresuan Sanctuary Park is located in this district as well. The Lake of Khao Lam Dam is suitable for fishing – lovers. Golf – lovers will enjoy playing golf in many beautiful perfect golf courses. Convenience five – star hotels, comfortable rafthouses and well – equipped resorts are ready for visitors.

[ Khao Laem Dam ]
153 kilometers from town on Highway 323, this hydro-electric dam is situated on Kwai Noi River. The dam is 1,019 meters long and 92 meters inches high, forms a great reservoir and the scenic beauty of lake which placed several raft and resort complexes offer opportunities for boat rides, swimming and fishing.

[ Hin Dad Hot Spring ]
135 kilometers from town, these occupy a hollow some 3 kilometers northeast of Highway 323 along the same track. The natural hot springs discovered by Japanese soldier during the Second World War. Visitors can shower in this pond.

[ Pha Tad Waterfall ]
The big three-tiered cascade, 140 kilometers from town on route Kanchanaburi- Thong Pha Phum at km. 105, and right turn some 12 kilometers to the waterfall.

[ Thung Nang Kruan Waterfall ]
Located in Tambon Cha-Lae, about 190 kilometers from Kanchanaburi town. Visitors should have 4-wheel-drive vehicles to travel along Thong Pha Phum -Sangkhlaburi route and take the right turn of 15 kilometers at km. 26, and some 3 kilometers on foot with local guide.

[ Pilog Mine ]
60 kilometers west of Thong Pha Phum District on Route 3272, once there was much mining of wolfram and tin in the Tanaosri Mountain range marking the Thai-Burmese border. Its cold temperature offer for a temperate fruit and decorative winter plant orchard. Furthermore, many beautiful waterfalls, new attractions offer visitors to be impressed by traveling on foot.



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