My First Visit to Kanchanaburi

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Kanchanaburi is a regional city of 35,000 located 130 km west of Bangkok, a picturesque river town with an abundance of cultural, historical, and natural attractions.

 

GETTING THERE

 

Trains and buses depart Bangkok's Thonburi stations, so the most convenient and economical method of transport is a minivan from Victory Monument. Fare was 120 baht for the 2.5 hour journey.

 

ACCOMODATION

 

I booked the River Kwai Hotel online for about 1100 baht, breakfast included. I felt this was good value, although about 1.5 km from the bar area and 4 km from The Bridge.

 

 

The hotel has Glitzy niteclub, where local Thai bands play extremely loud music until early morning. Fortunately, my room was in the hotel's rear and isolated from the noise. There's also an open-air beer bar on the premises.

 

 

KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY

 

Centrally located, the cemetery is the permanent resting place of several thousand WWII POWs who made the ultimate sacrifice while working on the Death Railway, an alternate supply line to Burma built by the Japanese at a horrific cost of human life.

 

 

DOWNTOWN

 

I inquired about a full day tour package that included Erawan Falls and Hell Fire Pass for 890 baht from one of the tour operators but they wouldn't accept a single traveler, so I rented a bicycle from Yanees for 80 baht/day. There was no deposit required since the bike wasn't worth much more, but could brake as long as I wasn't going downhill. The attendant tried to sell me on a bike with basket for only 50 baht, looked in good condition, but it was a girl's bike. I could only think of Phil Silvers and Jonathan Winters in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. "That bike for lady", I protested. The attendants though my reservations very amusing, I'll sniff the seat but I'm not riding.

 

The view of downtown.

 

 

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI

 

About 3 km outside of town, the bridge made famous by the novel and movie of the same name.

 

 

Open to pedestrian traffic, but also operational. Make way for the passenger train bound for Nam Tok.

 

 

This locomotive was used to transport ammunition to Burma

 

 

Allied bombing destroyed two spans in 1945. The bridge was repaired after the war.

 

 

Floating restaurants at the foot of the bridge

 

 

There's a beautiful temple on the opposite side of the river

 

 

EATS

 

Thanks to Trip Adviser, Nut's Restaurant is now world famous for their pumpkin curry, 100 baht with either chicken or shrimp.

 

 

DRINK

 

There seemed to be a consistent theme

 

 

This bar was quite interesting mon, with dudes in dread locks playing reggae mon. I thought I smelled some ganja while walking buy, but maybe just the music. I shot the sheriff. Very cool, mon.

 

 

Another promotion for 'green' tourism

 

 

This seems just a bit disrespectful. How about a Muslim equivalent?

 

 

Nothing hits the spot on a hot afternoon like an ice-cold Thatcher's Gold, 160 baht.

 

 

In the evening, these bars had some fairly attractive girls.

 

 

RIVER PARADISE

 

Arriving back at my hotel, sticky and drenched with sweat, I'm ready for a shower. But is there a better alternative? This building, right next to the hotel, looks like a soapy massage.

 

 

There are only Thais inside. Papasan invites me to sit and order a drink, coke is 40 baht. The topography is poor, it's difficult to scrutinize the girls. There's a fishbowl flanked by two sets of couches. Papasan explains that fishbowl girls are 2000, sideliners on couches to the left are 3000, and sideliners to the right are 3500. There are only 4 fishbowl girls and they've seen better days. About a dozen girls to the left and another half dozen to the right. Some sideliners are very doable but rates are higher than I expected. I select a very cute 3000 girl who speaks absolutely no English at all, but it's not a problem and she treats me to a very nice BBBJ. We shag in multiple positions and I leave feeling quite refreshed.

 

In summary, I really enjoyed my initial visit to this relaxing town, I'll definitely be coming back. Next trip I plan to rent a car and driver to take me to Hell Fire Pass. After walking the route, thinking about all the brave who perished, I'll have the driver drop me at Nam Tok where I'll catch the 2 hour scenic train ride back to Kanchanabui, over the Wang Po viaduct (also built by POWs). Another must see is the Erawan Falls.

Edited January 11, 2014 by RhinoTusk

[Ularu 16]

I agree it's a great trip. did it with my TGF and spent a couple of days on the River Kwai Rafts

[papillon 695]

Spiffing report Old Chap

[darkmancomes 75]

Done the Kwai trip 3 times and thoroughly enjoyed it both times were overnight stays up there and then down to do the Temples in Bangkok for the last night. Hell fire pass is a good walk and informative gets its name from the 24 hrs a day labour on it, at night the men striking the steel bars to cut through the rock caused sparks like fire. I would really love to have a nice big comfortable super scooter to travel through Thailand seeing such sites.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Thanks for your comments.

As a cautionary note, a place I would avoid is the Tiger Temple. Besides allegations of cruelty, a tourist was attacked just a few months ago.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2407513/Student-19-mauled-400lb-tiger-Thailand-popular-tourist-attraction.html

I can't believe they allow this place to remain open, but if anyone chooses to go I suggest after feeding time.

Edited January 12, 2014 by RhinoTusk

[darkmancomes 75]

I have been there and saw no problem but I did hear of that attack on the woman although I thought it was an English student who was a volunteer at the monastery. There was a tv documentary done about the place also. Yes I agree as with any wild animal there are dangers but the papers as usual done the super horror story! Other than selling the news papers I cant see the reason why as I don't suppose compensation is in the Asian dictionary! I actually took my turn with others leading the tiger back to its compound at the end of the day on a chain with a monk from a quarry type place where it had been lying. There were lots of domestic animals roaming about with no apparent desire from the tigers to help themselves to a free meal.

[Fornicator 106]

Great pictures, RhinoTusk! I had a super time when I went in 2004! I want to go back to ride the train.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Fornicator

[hillbilly 81]

good report matey any joiner fee in hotel

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

I believe the hotel owns the soapy massage next door, so as far as I know there is no joiner. My room had double beds, which were Thai size (barely large enough for me) and the mattress was as hard as any I've slept on. But the room was large and good value for 1100. My room was in the back of the hotel, otherwise I would have had difficulty sleeping because of the band in the Niteclub. For my next visit, I want to be more adventurous and try a room over the river.

[yogi100 1,925]

I've visited war cemetries in Belgium, France and Crete but this one in Thailand had the most profound affect on me because unlike the other cemetries in Europe those boys who lie beneath the gravestones were not killed in combat. As prisoners of war they were worked to death, denied basic medicines, health treatment and enough food and in some cases simply shot or beaten to death. They were allowed to die or murdered. The oppressive heat was also a factor that could be related to, it was bad enough for us to cope with on holiday let alone having to perform hard manual labour in such temperatures.

 

I grew up after WW2 and us kids idolised our elders who'd fought in the 2 World Wars and remember ex soldiers saying that while those that had fought the Germans they did not hate them like did the ones did that fought the Japanese. I had a few old chums who'd been POWs in Germany and both said they had been treated reasonably and the vast majority of the POWs of the Germans got to survive the war and return home. Just over half of those in the Jap camps had the same good fortune, the two I knew would not even talk about their experiences and we soon learned not to ask any questions of them. The Asian prisoners of the Japs fared even worse.

[yorta2 693]

I have spent the past 10 years visiting Kanchan., and have attended ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Hellfire Pass each year, followed by the main service in the main Cemetery. If you want great accommodation, but at a sensible price, stay at the Pong Phen Guesthouse (Google it). I always stay there, and it is right in the middle of the night action. First time I visited Kanchan I stayed at the River Kwai Hotel but then discovered Pong Phen.

[RhinoTusk 4,901]

Here's an article published yesterday on the bk.Asia-city.com website

 

http://bk.asia-city.com/travel/article/travel-guide-remembrance-kanchanaburi-thailand?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BK%20Weekend&utm_content=