|
A place I have never visited so the
opportunity came up and a friend and I went by car to see the Three
Pagodas Pass and the Death Railway.
From Pattaya it took us 5 hours to Kan, if you forget the one hour getting lost
round Bangkok Motorway! We stayed for two nights at the River Kwai
Hotel, www.riverkwai.co.th
which was very good having a superior room for 1200 baht a night. Budget
rooms in the sister hotel in Car Park from 380 baht. Before
places closed we were able to see a little of the towns many sites.
The Jeath Museum is near the river well signposted and the Australian
Death Railway Museum and Cemetery in the town centre. The Jeath
bamboo huts are similar to those that housed the prisoners and contain
many pictures and artefact's from the war times. Photography was carried
out by the Japanese at the beginning of the railway project but as times
got harder and deaths rose it was banned.
From the P.O.W. crew of 1000 Australian and British men 700 had harrowing
deaths occurring over 3 mths. forced digging the Konyu Cutting
and Hellfire Pass, so named because of the 24 hour work routine and the
fire torch lights at night.
Below the Jeath Museum by the River at Wat Tai.
Click pic for enlargements.
  
  
One of the Allied War Cemeteries 6000 dead lie here near
the Museum which is interesting
and the famous tourist bridge over the River Kwai as it is today.
  
  
  
  
Railway mementos at the Bridge
  
That evening we headed for the riverside bars and floating
restaurants to eat and watch the many disco boats go past.
It was quiet for the time of year with only a few tourists around but the
food was good and the beer reasonable.
Next morning we set off for the return trip to Three Pagodas Pass at the
top of the River Kwai valley and the border post leading into Burma.
It is over 220 kms. from Kanchanaburi over at times trying roads but the
early stages are easy and fairly fast. Scenery
is great but best seen in Nov early Dec I think after the rainy season
when its green and reservoirs are full of water.
  
Locals pass without check but with nothing on the other
side Tourists cannot go far.
The village of Sangkhlaburi is a local centre with Karen,
Mon and Thai people and you can see the longest wooden bridge in Thailand.
There are some large Buddha statues along the main road.
  
  
Views of the Kheuam Khao Laem Dam waters with floating
houses around edge.
  
 
The Death Railway, Konyu Cutting and Hellfire Pass.
Found 18 km north from the last Railway Station at Nam Tok on the left
side of route 323 in the Army Camp well signed.
We all might know something or nothing about this area but to me it was a
truly humbling experience to be there
and see what was achieved by the slave prisoners of war. They had
only limited hand tool and dynamite to do the work.
16000 P.O.W. plus 100000 other coolies died building 415 kms of railway
linking Burma in 16mths that was planned to take 5 years!
Used off and on for 20mths before the Allies finally bombed the bridge
halting this death railway.
It is a fair climb down and UP many steps to the cutting so take your time
and water with you. As we walked the line in our
peace the sounds from the bamboo forest could have been mistaken for cries
of dead men or Japanese guards barking out orders!
  
   
  
If you have the chance go and see for yourself it is truly
humbling!
HOME |
