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Bo Phloi
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The Bo Phloi district, located some 40 kilometers from the city, is well known for its locally mined blue sapphires and semi-precious stones such as onyx. Visitors can visit a Jewelry Handicraft Centre to see how these materials are honed and fashioned into spectacular jewelry sets.
Bo Phloi can be reached from Kanchanaburi by non air-conditioned buses departing from Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal every 20 minutes between 6 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. The journey takes 1 hour and costs 20 baht. |
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Kanchanaburi Safari Park
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The Safari Park is located approximately 40 kilometers from town along the Kanchanaburi-Bo Phloi route. It is home to numerous African and Asian mammals, including giraffes, zebras, lions, tigers and bears that dwell in beautifully landscaped environs. Visitors can drive their private car to explore the park or use the bus service provided by the park. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission fee is 120 baht for adults and 60 baht for children.
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| Animal Shelter |
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located at Ban Phu Pradu, Tambon Nong Bua, some 20 km. from Kanchanaburi. It is accessible by Highway 3229 with a turn for 3 km. between Km. 16 – 17. The animal shelter covers a total area of 38 rai and was relocated from Thung Si Kan and houses mostly dogs, as well as cats, cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep. Dogs are available for adoption. Open daily during 8.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m. for more information,
please call Tel. 08 1914 3444, 08 1763 3467.
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| Art Gallery and War Museum |
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 Located not far away from the Bridge on the River Khwae is a private museum which features the World Wide II story and art objects such as war weapons, army uniforms, photographs, jewelry, etc. The museum is open daily from 7.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Admission fee is 30baht/person.
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| Ban Kao National Museum |
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 A small Tambon (sub-district) located on the bank of the Kwai Noi River approximately 35 kilometers from the city is a site where some ancient Stone Age tools were found. In addition, a Neolithic burial site was discovered by the Dutch Allied POW, Dr. Van Hickderen who was forced to build the Death Railway. The consequences of findings revealed that tambon Ban Kao was once a dwelling of prehistoric men. Some critical discoveries included skeletons of prehistoric men, tools made from gravel stone and axes. The Ban Kao Museum houses skeletal remains, pots, axe heads, jewelry made from animal bones, and other artifacts dating from that period.
The museum is open from Wednesday through Friday with the exception of public holidays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is 30 baht. Call 0 3465 4058 for more information.
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| Chong Kai War Cemetery |
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 Situated only 2 kilometers south of town on the bank of the Kwai Noi River , the cemetery occupies the site of the Chong Kai which once was the prisoner of war camp. Smaller in size, the cemetery attracts visitors to see its peaceful, well-designed landscape where 1,740 POWs rest in eternal peace.
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| Kanchanaburi Cultural Centre |
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The centre is located in the Rajabhat Institute of Kanchanaburi, 14 kilometers out of town on the route to Sai Yok. Within the centre is a collection of displays on human lifestyles from the past until the present. Open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
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| Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak) |
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 This is the place where the remains of 6,982 POWs died during the construction of the Death Railway are buried. The cemetery, which is located on Saengchuto Road, opposite the Railway Station, just 1.5 kilometres from the TAT office, It is open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m..
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| Khao Chon Kai |
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The Army Student Camp is located 20 kilometers from the city along Highway No. 3199. Recently, the camp has opened its door for tourists wishing to enjoy activities such as tower jumping, model cliff climbing, etc. For more details, call 0 3458 9237
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| City Pillar (Lak Muang)
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 This attraction is situated on Lak Muang Road . The pillar which is located in the shrine is covered with gold leaf and is well-preserved illustrating local residents' high level of reverence.
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| Thailand - Burma Railway Centre |
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 The Thailand-Burma Railway Centre in an interactive museum, research and information centre dedicated to presenting the story of the Thailand-Burma Railway built during the World War II.
The centre is on the western side of the main Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak), approximately 100 metres from the cemetery entrance.
The centre open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission : Adults 60 baht and children(under 12 years old) 30 baht. For more information, call 0 3451 2721 |
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| The Bridge on the River Khwae (the Death Railway Bridge) |
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 Thanks to several films and books, the Bridge on the River Khwae has become notoriously famous and attracted both Thais and foreigners to the site. If an ordinary black iron bridge can tell a story, you can be sure it's a dramatic one.
The bridge spans across Maenam Khwae Yai which is a branch of Maenam Mae Klong. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army brought the iron bridge from Java. It was then resembled by Allied Prisoners of War (POW) under Japanese supervision. The bridge was part of a strategic railway route to Myanmar in which the Japanese aimed to secure supplies with which to conquer other western Asian countries. It was 415 kilometers long (about 303 kilometers in Thailand and about 112 kilometers in Burma ) and passed through the Three Pagoda Pass in Sangkhlaburi District, the northern most part of Kanchanaburi province.
Construction started on September 16, 1942 at Nong Pladuk , and was completed on 25 December 1943. It is estimated that over 16,000 POWs from England , Australia , Holland and America died while building the bridge which was a target of bombing raids in 1945. In addition to this, approximate 90,000 laborers from Thailand , Myanmar , Malaysia and Indonesia died during its construction.
Rebuilt after WWII, the bridge is still in use today with the curved portions of the bridge being that of the original. An attraction of note is the annual light and sound event at the bridge to commemorate the Allied attack in 1945.
The railway currently ends at Ban Tha Sao or Namtok Station, a distance of some 77 km. from Kanchanaburi Station. A special train running from Bangkok to Namtok Station is available on weekends and national holidays. For further details, please contact the State Railway of Thailand, Tel. 0 1690, 0 2220 4334
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| The JEATH War Museum |
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 The name JEATH is derived from countries which engaged in the WWII death railway construction from 1942 to 1945, which included Japan , England , America , Australia , Thailand and Holland . Located in the area of Wat Chai Chumphon, the museum is a reconstruction of the POWs thatched detention hut with cramped, elevated bamboo bunks. On the wall of the huts, photographs and illustrations of the POWs living conditions are on display. POWs who survived from the camp have donated items to enhance the museums atmosphere and authenticity. The museum opens daily from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission fee is 30 baht.
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| The Nine-Army Battle Historical Park |
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Established by the Royal Thai Army, the park is located at tambon Chong Sadao , approximately 40 kilometers from town on Highway No. 3199. It was built to commemorate the great battle under the command of King Rama I to defend the kingdom against the invasion by King Bodawpaya of Burma in 1795. Thais know this event under the name of the Nine-Army Battle. The park is a center for historical research and conservative tourism that also provides information on the great battle. A sand table displaying battlefields and diagrams depicting the battle strategy are on display. Open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Call 0 3458 9233-5 ext. 1122 for more information.
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| Tham Khao Pun Temple (Wat Tham Khao Pun)
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 Once a major POW camp, the temple where many Buddha images are enshrined is located in the middle cave and is surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites. The temple is 3 kilometers from Chongkai War Cemetery
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| Hell Fire Pass Memorial Museum |
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 This is a part of the Death Railway that was constructed during the Second World War using POW labor to cut through the mountain. The site is located in a thick forest near Km. 66 of the Sai Yok-Thong Pha Phum Road (Highway No. 323). Along a 4-kilometer walking trail made by the Allied prisoners visitors can envision the difficulties faced in constructing the Death Railway using simple tools. The pass is approximately 500 meters long and 26 meters deep. In 1943 Australian POWs employing hand drills, picks and shovels, baskets and dynamite completed it within six weeks.
There is also a museum displaying contemporary photographs, maps, models, illustrations, etc. from the period. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
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| Lawa Cave |
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 The cave is on the side of Khwae Noi River, 75 kilometers from Kanchanaburi City . The entrance to the cave is a bit narrow although the interior is spacious with several chambers including the music chamber, the throne chamber, and the curtain chamber with stalactites and stalagmites in full display. The cave can be accessed either by boat or car. Chartered boats are available at the Pak Saeng Pier (southwest of Namtok Railway Station), the trip takes 45 minutes and costs 800 to 1,000 baht per boat (capacity 8-10 people). Visitors traveling by road can cross the bridge at Ban Kaeng Raboet and continue on foot
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| Prasat Muang Sing Historical Park |
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 Muang Singh town was built between 857 and 1157 when the Khmer Kingdom was still prosperous. It was later abandoned until the reign of King Rama I when Muang Singh was rebuilt as a Kanchanaburi border town.
The only archeological site with a religious structure built in the middle of the city is the Khmer Prasat Mueang Sing (Tower of the City of Lions ) where the heavy influence of the late Lop Buri arts is clearly visible. The ancient site is located on a steep bank of Khwae Noi River where the waterway narrows and becomes fast flowing. The city walls, which were made of rectangular laterite, are approximately 800 meters in width, 1,500 meters in length and 5 meters in height. The compound is believed to have been the westernmost outpost of the Angkor-centered Khmer empire. Remains dating back some 2,000 years have been discovered, and artifacts, including temple carvings, religious statuary and pottery shards indicate that the city must have been inhabited from approximately the 12th to 14th centuries.
The historical park is open daily from 9 a.m.-4.30 p.m. Admission fee is 40 baht. Call 0 3459 1122 or 0 3459 1334 for additional information.
Visitors can take a train from Kanchanaburi to Tha Kilen Railway Station and continue on foot or by local transport to Prasat Muang Sing , which is just 1.5 kilometers away. Trains depart from Kanchanaburi Railway Station every day at 6.11 a.m. (arriving at Tha Kilen at 7.28 a.m.), 11 p.m. (arriving at 11.59 a.m.) and 4.37 p.m. (arriving at 5.42 p.m.). To return to Kanchanaburi, trains depart from Tha Kilen Station at 6.22 a.m., 1.51 p.m. and 4.31 p.m.
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| Sai Yok Elephant Village |
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 Located at Mu 3 Ban Lum Phueng, Tambon Lum Sum and offering a 30-minute nature trek on elephant and rafting. There is a daily elephant show during 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. To get there, from Kanchanaburi, take the Sai Yok – Thong Pha Phum route for some 30 minutes to around Km. 45, or a train and get off at Wang Pho Station. Open daily during 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. For a group visit, please contact in advance. Tel. 0 3459 1255, 0 3459 1102, 08 1878 9979
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