In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Kanchanaburi lies 130 km west of Bangkok, with the Second World War Death Railway, its war cemetery and the river scenery in one day. By train: a local train leaves Thonburi station at 07:45 daily for 100 THB each way and reaches the Bridge over the River Kwai at 10:35; on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays a weekend excursion train leaves Hua Lamphong at 06:30 for 120 THB round trip in third class, 240 THB air-conditioned (Seat61). The bridge is free to walk across. The seven-tiered waterfalls of Erawan National Park (300 THB for foreign adults) do not fit a train day: for both, book a tour. Or book a tour: the Death Railway and Hellfire Pass tour with lunchad (from ฿2,886, 4.7 stars from 1,383 reviews) covers the minivan, entry fees, lunch and the train ticket in one booking. For other regional destinations, see Day trips from Bangkok.
The history of the Death Railway
In 1942 the Imperial Japanese Army forced about 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (British, Australian, Dutch and American) and more than 180,000 Asian civilian labourers (romusha) to build a 415-kilometre rail link between Ban Pong in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Burma, now Myanmar.
More than 12,000 Allied prisoners and an estimated 90,000 civilian workers died of malnutrition, cholera, malaria, dysentery and brutal treatment, which gave the line its name. A stretch of about 130 km of the original route is still in use under the State Railway of Thailand, from Nong Pladuk junction through Kanchanaburi to the terminus at Nam Tok.
How to get to Kanchanaburi by train
1. Daily local trains from Thonburi station
Two local trains a day leave Thonburi station (formerly Bangkok Noi) on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, a 9-minute walk from Bang Khun Non MRT station. They are third class only, need no reservation and cannot sell out: you buy a ticket and board. The fare is 100 THB each way, whether you stop at Kanchanaburi, the River Kwai Bridge or ride on to Nam Tok (Seat61).
| Station | Train 257 (morning) | Train 259 (afternoon) | Train 258 back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok Thonburi | Departs 07:45 | Departs 13:55 | Arrives 17:40 |
| Kanchanaburi | Arrives 10:30 | Arrives 16:21 | Arrives 14:43 |
| River Kwae Bridge station | 10:35 | 16:26 | 14:35 |
| Tham Krasae Bridge | 11:40 | 17:48 | 13:28 |
| Nam Tok | Arrives 12:05 | Arrives 18:15 | Departs 13:00 |
A day trip uses the 07:45 out and the 13:00 from Nam Tok (or the 14:43 from Kanchanaburi back to Bangkok). The afternoon train 259 is for an overnight stay, not a day.
2. The weekend excursion train
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays a special railcar leaves Hua Lamphong at 06:30 on a round-trip itinerary that Seat61 sets out like this (Seat61):
- 07:40 Nakhon Pathom, a 40-minute stop at the great Phra Pathommachedi.
- 09:35 River Kwai Bridge station, a 25-minute stop, then across the bridge and along the River Kwai via the Wampo Viaduct.
- 11:30 Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi, with nearly three hours at the waterfall.
- 15:53 Kanchanaburi, a 60-minute stop for the war graves; arrives back at Hua Lamphong at 19:25.
The round trip is 120 THB in third class without air-conditioning or 240 THB in air-conditioned second class. Reservations are required and it often sells out, so book as far ahead as you can, at a station or on the State Railway of Thailand’s booking site, dticket.railway.co.th. Times can change: the itinerary is handed out on board.
Tours from Bangkok
A tour is worth it for the Erawan waterfalls or Hellfire Pass, which do not fit a train day. The drive is about 2 to 3 hours each way. Check which option you pick: some listings sell a guide-and-van option without entry fees.
Death Railway and Hellfire Pass with lunch
From ฿2,886 · 4.7 stars from 1,383 reviews · 1 day · hotel pickup
From Bangkok: Death Railway & Hellfire Pass Tour with Lunchad includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned minivan, an English-speaking guide, lunch, entrance fees and a train ticket for the Death Railway. It visits the bridge, the War Cemetery and the Hellfire Pass memorial, the rock cutting prisoners hacked out by hand. It is not suitable for children under 4, pregnant women, anyone over 70 or people with mobility impairments.
Erawan and the Skywalk, small group
From ฿1,803 · 4.6 stars from 1,973 reviews · 12 to 14 hours · small group
Bangkok: Erawan Park & Kanchanaburi Skywalk Small-Group Tourad combines Erawan National Park, the JEATH Museum, the Bridge over the River Kwai and Kanchanaburi’s glass Skywalk with an English-speaking guide and an air-conditioned vehicle. Entrance fees and hotel pickup are included in the options that say so; the meeting point is MBK Shopping Center. It is a long day, and the operator says it is not suitable for people with back or heart problems.
Historical day tour with the train ride
From ฿1,600 · 4.6 stars from 946 reviews · 10 hours · small group
From Bangkok: Historical Day Tour to River Kwaiad includes the van, lunch, entrance fees, an English-speaking guide and the basic Death Railway train fare of 100 THB, and visits the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre. The train fare does not guarantee a seat; an assigned seat is 200 THB a person, paid on the train. The meeting point is River City Bangkok on Charoen Krung Soi 24.
Private Death Railway tour
From ฿3,800 · 4.9 stars from 191 reviews · 9 hours · private
From Bangkok: Death Railway & River Kwai Bridge Private Tourad is a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, all entrance fees, the train ticket, lunch and the expressway fee. The war cemetery and museum visit can fall in the afternoon.
Official ticket or tour: the prices side by side
On your own, the cheapest day is the 07:45 train. Operator prices are from Seat61, the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre and Erawan National Park; GetYourGuide prices are each product’s lowest “from” price.
| What you want | On your own | On GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|
| The train to the River Kwai Bridge and Nam Tok | 100 THB each way on a weekday; 120 THB round trip on the weekend excursion | Included in the ฿2,886 and ฿1,600 tours |
| Thailand-Burma Railway Centre | 160 THB adult, 80 THB children aged 7 to 12 | Included in the ฿1,600 tour |
| Erawan National Park | 300 THB adult, 150 THB child, paid in cash at the gate | Entry included on the Erawan small-group tour where the option says so, from ฿1,803 |
| The Bridge over the River Kwai | Free to walk across | Included in every tour |
| Transport from Bangkok | In the train fare | Air-conditioned van included |
For the railway alone, the train is the better buy: 200 THB return on a weekday against ฿1,600 for the cheapest tour with a train ride. The tours earn their price when you want Erawan, Hellfire Pass or the Death Railway in the same day, because they drive you straight there.
Sights in Kanchanaburi
Bridge over the River Kwai
Free admission · Open all day
About 5 km beyond central Kanchanaburi, the steel truss bridge was built by prisoners of war in 1943. Allied bombing destroyed several curved central spans in 1945, and two straight spans supplied by Japan as post-war reparations replaced them: the curved spans are the 1943 originals. Pedestrians can walk across at any time, but three trains each way still cross every day, so step into the triangular refuges on the side of the trusses when one approaches. River Kwae Bridge station is about 200 m before the bridge (Seat61).
The River Kwai Bridge. Photo: PumpkinSky, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don-Rak)
Directly across from Kanchanaburi railway station on Saeng Chuto Road, Don-Rak is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It holds the graves of 6,982 Allied prisoners of war who died along the southern section of the railway. Bronze plaques set in lawns give each man’s name, regiment and a personal inscription; some read only “Known unto God”.
A grave marker at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Photo: deror_avi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
Open daily 09:00 to 16:00 · 160 THB adults, 80 THB children aged 7 to 12
The centre sits on the western side of the war cemetery, a short walk from Kanchanaburi station. It has interactive maps, artefacts and a documentary account of the railway’s construction (tbrconline.com).
JEATH War Museum
On the riverbank near Wat Chai Chumphon, the museum is run by the resident Buddhist monastery. JEATH stands for Japan, England, Australia, America, Thailand and Holland. It has a reconstructed bamboo POW hut, original photographs, hand-drawn sketches, tools and unexploded Allied bombs.
Hellfire Pass
The operational line ends at Nam Tok, but about 18 km further on, on the disused section, is Konyu Cutting, known as Hellfire Pass. It has an Australian-sponsored museum, and about 4 km of the old track bed is open to walk (Seat61). It is outside train range: reach it by tour or taxi. Organised tours from Kanchanaburi usually allow about 30 minutes there, enough to see the pass itself.
Tham Krasae wooden trestle bridge
Free admission · Trains pass at 11:40 and 13:28
Tham Krasae is the best-known stretch of the line still running. The track follows a sheer limestone bluff on one side, held up by a curved timber trestle above the River Kwai Noi. A small cave beside the tracks, Tham Krasae, holds a gilded Buddha and served as a shelter and field hospital during construction. Walk the sleepers between trains only, and keep off the trestle when a train is due.
The Death Railway at Tham Krasae. Photo: Wayne77, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Combining Kanchanaburi with Erawan National Park
Erawan National Park covers 550 square kilometres of limestone hills about 65 km northwest of Kanchanaburi town. Its main sight is a seven-tiered waterfall running into turquoise pools, where small garra fish nibble at swimmers’ feet.
- Entry: 300 THB for foreign adults, 150 THB for children aged 3 to 14, in cash (thainationalparks.com). The park opens at 08:00 and the last entry is 15:30 (visitthailandtoday.com).
- Rules: food is not allowed beyond the second tier, and each plastic bottle carries a 20 THB deposit, refunded when you bring it back.
- Bus 8170 from Kanchanaburi bus station: 60 THB, about 1½ hours; the first bus leaves at 08:00 and the last bus back leaves the falls at 16:30 (visitthailandtoday.com).
- One day, one sight: by bus, a day at Erawan leaves no time for the railway, and from Bangkok it means a night in Kanchanaburi. A tour with a minivan puts the bridge and the waterfalls in one day.
The lower tiers of Erawan Falls. Photo: FearOfMusic, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
To compare Kanchanaburi with other full-day trips from the city, read Day trips from Bangkok.
Common questions
Can I do a day trip from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi by train?
Yes, two ways. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays a State Railway of Thailand excursion train leaves Hua Lamphong at 06:30 and is back at 19:25, for 120 THB round trip in third class or 240 THB in air-conditioned second class; book ahead because it often sells out. On any day the 07:45 local train from Thonburi station reaches the Bridge over the River Kwai at 10:35 and costs 100 THB each way, with the return train leaving Nam Tok at 13:00 and reaching Thonburi at 17:40.
Can you walk across the Bridge over the River Kwai?
Yes. The bridge has pedestrian walkways and is free to walk across, but it is still used by trains, so step into the refuges on the side of the spans when one approaches.
What is the Tham Krasae wooden trestle bridge?
Tham Krasae is a section of the Death Railway where the track runs along a limestone cliff above the River Kwai Noi on a timber trestle. Daily trains cross it at about 11:40 going out and 13:28 coming back.
Is it possible to visit Erawan waterfalls and the Death Railway on the same day?
On a guided tour or with a private driver, yes. By public transport it is not practical: Erawan is about 65 km northwest of Kanchanaburi town and the bus takes about 1½ hours each way, with the last bus back from the falls at 16:30.
How much does it cost to enter Erawan National Park?
Foreign adults pay 300 THB and children aged 3 to 14 pay 150 THB; bring cash. The park is open from 08:00 and the last entry is 15:30.
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