| With the ongoing growth of the long haul flight market | | | | Adjacent to the bridge on the river Kwai is Kwai |
| Thailand continues to increase in popularity with | | | | bridge station, home to some interesting items of |
| European holidaymakers in search of year round | | | | preserved railway stock including several historic |
| sunshine, however there is more to Thailand than | | | | steam locomotives and other pieces of general stock |
| crowded beaches or the noise and bustle of Bangkok. | | | | from the wartime period. |
| Somewhere that does not always make it into the | | | | Next stop after Kwai bridge station should be the small |
| holiday brochures is Kanchanaburi. | | | | museum next to the bridge on the river Kwai. The |
| Kanchanaburi is home to the bridge on the river Kwai | | | | museum is dedicated to all the servicemen who |
| which is well known to many people through the book | | | | served in whatever capacity on the Thailand Burma |
| of that name, and later the 1957 film directed by David | | | | railway, and it contains many interesting relics from that |
| Lean, and starring Jack Hawkins and Alec Guinness. | | | | period, it does however get very crowded at times. A |
| Both the book and the film tell fictionalized accounts of | | | | more peaceful atmosphere may be experienced at |
| the building of this railway bridge, and the construction | | | | the nearby war cemetery where you can spend an |
| of this part of the Thailand Burma railway by the Allied | | | | hour or two walking among the graves of the men |
| prisoners used as slave labour by the Japanese army | | | | who died in the struggle to construct the bridge and |
| during the second world war. | | | | the 'Death Railway'. |
| As anyone who has seen the film will know the original | | | | If you have the time while you are in the area there is |
| bridge on the river Kwai was destroyed by Allied | | | | no more relaxing way to end your trip to Kanchanaburi |
| aircraft shortly after construction, and the bridge on the | | | | than to take a boat trip on the river. It will give you a |
| river Kwai that can be seen today is therefore not | | | | unique opportunity to experience the bridge from a |
| original. It is however still in regular use today, as at | | | | more impressive angle, and you will gain a new |
| least part of the Thailand Burma railway is still in | | | | respect for the men who toiled so hard, and died to |
| operation. | | | | construct the bridge on the river Kwai. |