Kanchanaburi is
Thailand's third largest province, covering an area of 19,486
square kilometers. The provincial area is mountainous and
borders Myanmar to the west. The province of Kanchanaburi
consists of 13 districts or Amphoe of which Amphoe Muang,
Amphoe Sai Yok, Amphoe Thong Pha Phum, Amphoe Sangkhlaburi,
Amphoe Tha Muang, Amphoe Bo Phloi, and Amphoe Si Sawat are
tourist destinations. Kanchanaburi is the site of the world-famous
Bridge Over The River Kwae, immortalized in books and movies,
and is noted for rugged natural beauty where mountains and
river valleys have inspired development of hydro-electric
power and where labyrinthine reservoirs provide further
scenic elements to the province's natural beauty.
There
are two museums in Kanchanaburi, the JEATH Museum and the
World War II Museum. The JEATH Museum was built in 1977
by the chief abbot of Wat Chaichumpol. Its bamboo structure
resembles the huts the POW's were forced to live in during
their internment. JEATH is an acronym for the soldiers of
Japan, England, Australia, Thailand and Holland, all of
whom helped build the infamous Death Railway.
The
World War II Museum, located at the site of the old bridge,
was opened on 5 December 1988 by Boonyiam Chansiri and her
family. Her father died fighting the Japanese when she was
only eleven years old.
The Bridge on the River Kwai. Made famous by the
1957 film starring Alec Guinness, William Holden and Jack
Hawkins, the bridge is one of the biggest tourist attractions
in Thailand today.
Take a ride through history on the famous "death Railway"
train, passing lush forest scenery.
|