This historic Death Railway Bridge spans across Kwai Yai River branching off from the Mae Klong River. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army brought the iron bridge from Java. Allied prisoners of war (PoWs) were forced to build the Death Railway under Japanese supervision in order to construct part of the 415 km long Myanmar-Thailand railway (about 303 kilometers in Thailand and about 112 kilometers in Burma). The PoWs had been working from dawn until after dark southwards from Thanbyuzayat (Myanmar) to link with other PoWs on the Thai side of the railway by passing through the Three Pagoda Pass in Sangkhlaburi District of Kanchanaburi province.

The railway construction began on September 16, 1942 at Nong Pladuk, and was completed on 25 December 1943. More than 16,000 PoWs from England, Holland, Australia and America perished while building the bridge through starvation, lack of medicine and medical care. Other 90,000 Asian labourers from Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia also died during its construction.

After World War II, the entire railway was removed and sold as it was considered unsafe to travel and politically undesirable. However, the bridge is still in use today with the curved sections of the bridge being the original. In the first week of December, the annual Light and Sound held at the bridge site commemorating the Allied bombing attacks of the Death Railway in 1945 for local and visitors.

Getting There:

The railway currently terminates at Ban Tha Sao or Namtok Station, 77 kilometers from Kanchanaburi Station. A special train running from Bangkok to Namtok Station is available on weekends and national holidays. The special train leaves Bangkok Hua Lamphong Station at 6.30 a.m., returning at 7.55 p.m. The trip usually includes several stops at Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom, Bridge on the River Kwai, and a mini bus transfer to Phrasat Mueang Singh Historical Park.

For further information, please contact the State Railway of Thailand at 02 223 7010, 02 223 7020 or visit www.railway.co.th