Kanchanaburi Province, the 2014 journey, from Thonburi railway station, Bangkok, Thailand. ( 4 )
I had been telling myself to go and visit Kanchanaburi Province for many years, I really don’t know why I had never been before. The main interest within this province is it’s attachment to World War 2. In particular the Death railway ( as it became known ) and the bridge over the river Kwai ( Khwae Yai as its called in Thailand ). On the 18th June 2014 this became a reality. I knew the trains to Kanchanaburi left quite early in the morning from Thonburi railway station on the west bank of Bangkok, or Bangkok Noi railway station as it’s also known. There are trains leaving Bangkok Noi Railway Station twice daily at 7.40 a.m. and 1.50 p.m., and stopping at Kanchanaburi Station, River Khwai or Khwae Bridge, Tha Kilen Station and Namtok Station. The journey takes around 2½ hours.Knowing what traffic was like around Bangkok, even early in the morning, I wanted to make sure I got everything ready beforehand, so I went to get my ticket the day before on the 17th June. I took a Sky Train from Nana station through to Wong Wian Yai across the Chao Phraya river. Walked down the stairs to Krung Thonburi road and got a taxi that then drove under the SkyTrain track and joined Somdet Phra Chao Taksin road. Then the beautiful sight of the King Taksin Statue roundabout came into view. With the majestically mounted King Taksin the Great, on his horse, his sword held high, in the middle of this busy and landscaped traffic island, also known as the Wong Wian Yai roundabout. Then into Itsaraphap road and finally into Soi Wat Wiset Kan 3 in the middle of Rotfai Market.
Thonburi railway station is at the end of this small road. I had a long discussion with a helpful lady behind the ticket counter, she told me the ticket to Namtok, the end of the line in Kanchanaburi was 100 Baht for me and free for my friend. I paid the fare for the journey the next day. I took some photos and shot some videos while I was there of all the surrounding area for my web site. The following day I woke at 05.00am to get breakfast in Foodland in Sukhumvit Soi 5, then repeated my journey I completed yesterday to Thonburi Railway station. I felt a twinge of sadness visiting Kanchanaburi, another friend of mine ( who I knew many years ago ) was in a Japanese prisoner of war camp and he often told me about the many terrible days he spent there.
The train arrived and set off around 07.50 am. The countryside was pleasant on the journey there, but as normal in Thailand the heat was beginning to build up. The train had no Air Conditioned carriages the only breeze was an open window. The main parts the train passes through on the journey are Taling Chan station, Nakhon Pathom station, near Muang Ban Pong in Ratchaburi Province the train heads north and finally onto Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai stop. Kanchanaburi is the largest of the central provinces or changwats as they are known in Thailand. Provinces bordering are Tak to the north, Uthai Thani next going right, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi in the southern part. In the west it borders Myanmar which was formerly known as Burma.
Kanchanaburi is renowned for its natural attractions, such as forests, mountains, caves and waterfalls. The province is located to the west of Bangkok and is 129 kilometres distance. The Province covers a total area of around 19,483 km² being the country’s third largest Province after Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai in the very north. Within the Province you will discover the source valleys for the rivers Kwae Yai and Kwae Noi ( or River Kwai ) which merge at the city of Kanchanaburi and form the Mae Klong River there that flows into Ratchaburi Province and empties into the Gulf of Thailand in Samut Songkhram Province. Archaeology found in and around Kanchanaburi dates back to the 4th century which provides proof of trading with surrounding countries even in that time.