Kanchanaburi Sightseeing and Package Tour

About Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is a beautiful, relaxed, and very friendly place to visit with its many National Parks, caves, adventurous activities, and the famous Bridge over the river Kwai. Below are some of the finest places in Kanchanaburi province.

Visit the famous River Kwai Bridge, the Hellfire Pass, and the Death Railway in Kanchanaburi in Thailand with ThaitraveldreamsBridge over the river Kwai

Internationally famous bridge, as part of the Death Railway linking Thailand with Myanmar. It was built by Allied prisoner-of-war labor under Japanese supervision in WWII. The bridge spans the Kwae Yai River. The first railway bridge over the Kwae River was made from wood. It was part of the so-called "Death Railway" between Thailand and Burma, built by over 100,000 Prisoners of War. Tens of thousands did not survive the poor working conditions, diseases, and brutal camp discipline. Many are buried in the war cemeteries. Nowadays the bridge functions normally with trains to Nam Tok crossing a few times daily.

An anecdotal remark: please note that the name should be pronounced as "Bridge over the river Kwai (vowel sounds as in "glad") not Kwai. The word Kwai (vowel pronounced as in "why") means buffalo in Thai and Thai people will not understand what you mean.

Visit the famous River Kwai Bridge, the Hellfire Pass, and the Death Railway in Kanchanaburi in Thailand with ThaitraveldreamsWar cemetery & Jeath War museum

The Kanchanaburi War cemetery is located within the city. It contains the remains of 6982 allied POWs who perished during the construction of the Death Railway. There is a second war cemetery called Chongkai on the other side of the river. This occupies the former site of the Choingkai POW camp. It is smaller and more peaceful, containing 1750 remains mostly of English pows. Both cemeteries are very well-kept.

Jeath War Museum consists of a replica bamboo hut in which the prisoners had to live. It is filled with sketches, photos, articles, tools, letters from ex-POW, and various other objects picting various aspects of POW life. Jeath is short for Japan, England, Australia & America, Thailand, and Holland, home countries of most of the allied POWs.

Visit the famous River Kwai Bridge, the Hellfire Pass, and the Death Railway in Kanchanaburi in Thailand with ThaitraveldreamsMuang Singh Historical Park

Prasat Muang Singh represents the western outpost of the Khmer empire, whose stone ruins have been renovated into a pleasant green park beside the picturesque Kwai Noi River making a great picnic site. It is one of the most important sites in the Khwai Noi River basin in Kanchanaburi. Prehistoric human skeletons have been discovered near the ancient city, together with metal tools, vessels and ornaments, bricks, foundations of Dvaravati period architecture, and laterite ruins from the 13th century. The remains of the ancient city comprise several layers of rectangular walls and a moat. The annual festival within the historical park is the "Thin Buri Sri Chai Sing" featuring a light and sound show and classical dances. A visit to Muang Sing is included in all our excursions from Kanchanaburi to Sai Yoke.

Hellfire pass

A part of the Death Railway cut through the stone mountain during World War II and a haunting tribute to the many. There is a walking trail and also a small museum displayed to commemorate the history of WWII. The pass was called "Hellfire pass" by the POW's because at night they had to work with torch lights. Nearby lies the "Pack of Cards bridge" so called because during its construction it collapsed 3 times, costing the lives of many people. Nowadays trains run normally over the PoC bridge. The memorial trail runs via a bamboo forest to the pass. A memorial stone south of Sai Yoke remembers the POWs that died during the Konyu digging.

Visit the famous River Kwai Bridge, the Hellfire Pass, and the Death railway in Kanchanaburi in Thailand with ThaitraveldreamsNational Parks

About 65 km north of Kanchanaburi lies the 7-tiered Erawan waterfall, one of Thailand's loveliest cascades. Enjoy the scenery and if you want then you can go all the way up to level 7, a challenging walk of about 1½ hour after which you will be rewarded with a serene surroundings and clear blue water in a white stone basin in which you can take a cool refreshing dip (take your swimsuit along). The Sai Yoke Noi waterfalls are close to the Nam Tok train station and the Sai Yoke Yai waterfalls are on the other side of the river, 30 km further upstream. The latter is different from other falls in that it runs from the cliff directly into the river. The more adventurous can take a kayaking trip and spend the night in the forest surrounding the falls. All waterfalls are at their most beautiful during and just after the rainy season (July - October) when the water is at peak flow. Best to visit on weekdays as the weekends can be crowded.

A few km away from the Erawan Falls is the Phra Tat cave. Near Sai Yoke Noi waterfall on the other side of the river the Lawa caves can be found. It is the biggest cave of the area. Further towards the Burmese border lie the Daowadueng Cave. All caves contain spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations.

An Elephant village is located in Sai Yoke National Park where you can enjoy a ride on an elephant back and rafting on a bamboo float over the river. The animals also perform acrobatic shows.

This city has a tropical climate. In Kanchanaburi, the level of precipitation during summers surpasses that of winters. The climate is classified as Aw according to Köppen and Geiger. The temperature in this location is approximately 27.1 °C | 80.8 °F, as determined by statistical analysis. About 1060 mm | 41.7 inch of precipitation falls annually.

The Kanchanaburi is situated close to the equator, making summers difficult to define. It is highly recommended to plan your visit during the months of January, February, November, December for an optimal experience.

CLIMATE GRAPH // WEATHER BY MONTH KANCHANABURI

Climate graph // Weather by Month, Kanchanaburi

The least amount of rainfall occurs in December. The average in this month is 9 mm | 0.4 inch. The highest amount of precipitation occurs during the month of September, with an average quantity reaching up to 186 mm | 7.3 inch.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE BY MONTH KANCHANABURI

average temperature by month, Kanchanaburi

The temperatures are highest on average in April, at around 29.8 °C | 85.7 °F. The month of December registers the most frigid temperatures throughout the year, with an average low temperature of 25.1 °C | 77.1 °F.

Precipitation / Rainfall mm (in)     

The variation in the precipitation between the driest and wettest months is 177 mm | 7 inches. Throughout the year, there is an observable fluctuation in average temperatures by 4.8 °C | 8.6 °F.

It is observed that October (80.72) has the highest relative humidity, whereas February (56.58) experiences the lowest. The month with the highest precipitation is September (21.97 days), whereas the one with the lowest amount of rainfall is December (1.77).

KANCHANABURI WEATHER AND CLIMATE FOR EVERY MONTH

HOURS OF SUNSHINE IN KANCHANABURI

The average hours of sunshine for Kanchanaburi

At Kanchanaburi, the month that boasts of the highest number of daily sunshine hours is July with an average duration of 10.12. The total count for this period accumulates to a staggering sum of 313.62 sunlight hours.

WHERE TO STAY IN KANCHANABURI

If you are relying on public transport, you’ll find plenty of convenient accommodation options in Kanchanaburi town centre. If you have your own vehicle there is more scope to stay in the surrounding countryside with hotels like Cross River Kwai occupying a serene spot overlooking a quiet stretch of the river. Much of the budget accommodation in Kanchanaburi is close to the river in the form of guest houses and raft houses. The latter option can be cheap, but aren’t the most comfortable. If you opt for one of the raft houses in town be prepared for the sound of karaoke filling the air from the numerous rafts and riverside bars. Far better options for raft houses can be further out of town in Sai Yok National Park. Set in a beautiful location, choose from the basic raft houses at River Kwai Jungle Rafts or the more luxurious option at Float House River Kwai.

Get in to Kanchanaburi

By bus

From Bangkok to Kanchanaburi:

BKS public buses (line 81) leave from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Taling Chan สายใต้ตลิ่งชัน), which is located far west in the suburb Thonburi. In Kanchanaburi, there are two separate but nearby bus terminals, with 1st class buses departing from an office off Thanon Saengchuto, and 2nd class buses from the larger terminal one block east.

1st class buses should leave Bangkok every 15 minutes from 05:00-22:30, take about 2 hours, and cost 110 baht, including a bottle of water.

2nd class buses (new route) leave Bangkok every 20 minutes from 03:30-19:00 and take about 2 hours. Cost 95 baht.

2nd class buses (old route) leave Bangkok every 15-30 minutes from 04:00-18:00 and take about 3 hours.

There are also tourist minibuses directly to/from Khao San Road, departing Kanchanaburi at 13:30 and 18:30.

There are also some buses leaving less frequently from Bangkok's Northern Mo Chit bus terminal (note: not the same as Mo Chit BTS station, and not within walking distance of it, although a standard 50 baht motorbike ride is available. It's often called "Mo Chit 2"). Here are the times found online at the station:

First-class bus with toilet (3 hours, 122 baht): 06:00, 11:00, 14:30

Second class bus with no toilet inside: 05:00, 07:00, 09:30, 12:30, 17:00

Minibus leave from Terminal 4 regularly, (noon was one of the scheduled times) taking 3 hours for 120 baht (July 2015)

Bus rides may be variable or canceled (for example, with 14:30 being the last of the day.) But there are vans available at the bus station leaving even when you're told there's no way to get there by bus! It may pay to talk to the information desk for this. Price Feb '11 was around 120 baht, about 2 hrs.

From Nakhon Pathom, there are direct buses (2nd class only) every 15 to 30 minutes between 04:00 and 18:00, which take two hours. Alternatively, you can hop off a 1st class bus when it passes by Nakhon Pathom, but double-check with staff to ensure the route allows this and they know your plans.

From Sangkhlaburi to Kanchanaburi, you're spoilt for choice:

Air-con VIP buses leave at 08:45, 10:45, and 14:30 and take 4 hours.

Air-con minibusses leave at 06:30, 07:30, 11:30, 13:00, 15:30 and take 3.5 hours.

Standard buses leave at 06:45, 08:15, 10:15, 13:15 and take 5 hours.

From Pattaya to Kanchanaburi:

There is a direct bus from Pattaya to Kanchanaburi, running 2 times a day (9:30 am and 7:30 pm), departing from Central Pattaya, arriving at Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal. The bus service is provided by the Sri Mongkol bus company.

Travel duration: approximately 5 hours (distance of about 220km - 230km)

Bus ticket price: THB315 (price as of January 2016. Double-deck bus with air conditioner & toilet on board, price includes 1 free bottle of water & one chocolate bon)

Where to buy a ticket & depart: Sri Mongkol bus terminal at Chaloem Phrakiat, Pattaya Sai 3 (Direction: on Central Pattaya Road, find the TOT building (Telecommunication Company), Chaloem Phrakiat/Pattaya Sai 3 intersects with Central Pattaya road at this TOT building. The Sri Mongkol bus terminal is just about 150 meters north of the TOT building on Chaloem Phrakiat on the west side. It is hard to find, it is in the strip of shops, just before a large empty lot (as of January 2016)

Sri Mongkol contact: 089-280-2255 or 081-876-7770, or 081-879-9494, or 081-547-1548

Tips: best to buy the ticket at least one day in advance. As with many other Thais outside Bangkok, the company staff cannot understand & speak English well, especially over the phone. If there is any problem communicating to the staff, consider asking your hotel/hostel staff to speak to them in Thai over the phone, e.g. asking for the bus station address and have the hotel staff write it down in Thai - taxi/tuk tuk driver could find the place easier that way.

The 5-hour journey is quite long but the road quality is pretty good with hardly any problem. A good option to consider if one does not want to go to Kanchanaburi from Pattaya via going back to Bangkok. Beats using two minivans (cost 280 B depending on which company you use) and is only 30 Baht more.

From Ayutthaya to Kanchanaburi:

Ayutthaya - Suphanburi, public minibus no. 703, 80 baht, travel time 1.5h, leaves every 30m. from Chao Phrom market bus station. Suphanburi - Kanchanaburi, bus no. 411, some buses have aircon, 70 baht, travel time 2h, leaves every 20m. By minivan directly from your hotel at 9:30am or 4:30 pm. 400 baht per person. Takes 2.5 hours. Book through a tour agent.

By train

Trains leave Bangkok's Thonburi Train Station at 07:50 and arrive at Kanchanaburi at 10:25, also at 13:55 and arriving at 16:24. You may be interested in buying a ticket to the River Kwai Bridge since these two trains are the only ones that cross the bridge each day. Since December 2005, the fare is 100 baht for foreigners.

Be warned that reaching Thonburi Station from Khao San Road is harder than it looks; tuk-tuk drivers will try to charge you outrageous rates, and walking involves crossing two bridges and looping back away. The best way is probably to take the passenger boat from Phra Arthit Pier and connect to a cross-river ferry that reaches the Thonburi Railway pier, then walk or take the open minibus from there. The other way to reach Thonburi (Bangkok Noi) Station is to walk a little bit south from Thammasat University (next to Sanam Luang), take river ferry (3THB) from Wat Mahathat to Wanglong, on the other side of the river walk west until you reach main north-south road, here walk north until you reach big bridge where you will go under it and then just walk west to train station, all this from Khao San Road to train station takes only about 30-40mins easy walk + river ferry. You can also walk a bit away from Khao San Road and find a metered taxi that will not rip you off. The fare should be about 70-80 baht from Khao San on the meter. If you miss the train taxi from Thonburi train station to Sai Tai Mai bus terminal for buses to Kanchanaburi (110THB) costs 80 baht.

Alternatively, use the Google Maps route planner on your smartphone or the computer in your hostel, and look for a local bus connection.

Return trains leave at 07:25 and 14:48 from the main railway station; from the River Kwai Bridge, they leave 6 minutes earlier. Riding 3rd class is an adventure in itself, and recommended.

Both train services continue to/from Nam Tok, the current terminus of the Death Railway. The normal trains will charge "Farangs" (Westerners) 100 baht in each direction from Kanchanaburi to Wang Pho, the last station before Nam Tok.

The 10:30 train has a special tourist section, where an inflated price of 300 baht gets you air-con, a soft drink and a certificate of having ridden the Death Railway.

By minivan Minivans depart to Kanchanaburi from either Mo Chit or Southern Bus Terminal.

By car Kanchanaburi is about a  3-hour drive from Bangkok, along Hwy 4 (Phet Kasem) from Bangkok until it meets Hwy 323. This will take you to Kanchanaburi.

You can catch a taxi to Kanchanaburi, and return to Bangkok for the day for around 2,000 baht. This should include stopping at the Bridge over River Kwai and the museum, Kanchanaburi township, the local dam, and the cemetery for the prisoners of war. You may need to pay a bit extra to visit Erawan Falls which is about an hour out of the town centre and the Tiger Temple.

By limousine taxi Bangkok (Airport) limousines are a comfortable and swift means of travel between Thailand's capital and Kanchanaburi. Transfer rates by luxury Japanese sedans are typically between 3,000-3,500 baht to Kanchanaburi rather district having to ark case by case

By Minibus For shorter travel, day trips from Bangkok are commonly sold at Bangkok travel agencies. Typically these include Toyota minibus transport from one's hotel to Kanchanaburi and back (visiting the famous bridge, Erawan National Park, etc., depending on the package), and perhaps lunch and entrance fees.

THE KANCHANABURI PROVINCE, IS AN AREA FILLED WITH HISTORICAL SIGHTS, NATURE, AND CULTURE

Kanchanaburi is located in the western part of Thailand and is a province filled with rich culture and fascinating history. This combined with the fact that it is easily accessible from Bangkok makes it one of the great locations to explore in Thailand. You can reach the area by train, busses, or private transfer from Bangkok with a ride of approximately only 3 hours, which makes it a great day trip or 1/2 night trip.

While the area is known for being a tourist hotspot, the most famous part of the province is the city of Kanchanaburi which has the River Kwai going through its centre. This River has a bridge going over it called the Bridge over the River Kwai, which played an important part in the Second World War. This bridge has a movie made about its history as well, with the same name as the bridge itself.

The historical aspect of the province does not stop with just the bridge, further into the province and into the jungle is also the Hellfire Pass. The Hellfire Pass is a part of the Thai-Burma Railway and is often described as one of the hardest construction parts of the entire railway. Hundreds of Prisoners of War died while constructing the pass.

While the Hellfire Pass already felt like hell to construct for the War Prisoners, this was not the reason for it to be named as such. The real reason was because the workers had to work 24 hours a day which meant they had to work at night as well and thus torches were lit in the past. But as the pass was so narrow it looked as a picture from hell. Next to the Hellfire Pass is the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, which showcases the story of the Thai-Burma Railway and the tragedies that happened during the war.

Furthermore, at the resort Home Phutoey River Kwai there is Jack Chalker’s Gallery and the Sir Weary Dunlop Peace Parks, these two memorials tell the story of the Prisoners of War during the Thai-Burma Railway and lets them showcase their experiences during this horrific period. The gallery is of a British man that went as a young art student to fight against the Japanese in the Far East, to be captured and joining 60.000 other allied prisoners. They were driven to their limits and many did not make it. Jack Chalker used his skills as an artist to show the stories in a different way, by painting many paintings, recording the misery. However, he also painted the heroism and friendships of the prisoners during these hard times filled with starvation, diseases and ravages.

The second story of Weary Dunlop Peace Parks integrates with the history of the Home Phutoey resort. When Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop returned to the River Kwai, himself a survivor of the Burma-Thailand Railway, he and his fellow group of veterans met a Thai man. Mr Kanit met Weary Dunlop as Weary asked for a refreshing cold beer which sadly was not sold in the shop, however, Mr Kanit brought the man up to his house, the house which was and still is Home PhuToey. This was the beginning of a great friendship between the two that lasted up to the death of Sir Edward Dunlop. Sir Edward Dunlop had his ashes spread out over the country he fell in love with, Thailand, and his great friend Mr Kanit built the memorial in remembrance of the friendship between the two.

Next to the many touching and intriguing historical attractions, Kanchanaburi also provides many other sights and things to do such as the stunning Erawan Waterfalls. These waterfalls are located further in the jungle and provide a beautiful sight of multiple layers of the falls. Come to Kanchanaburi and be pleasantly surprised by the beauty and entertainment the province provides you.