Kanchanaburi province lies approximately 130 kilometers west of
Bangkok. It is one
of the most beautiful provinces containing numerous national parks, waterfalls,
and wildlife. Historically, it is also one of the most important provinces in
Thailand acting as a buffer zone between Burma and the cities of Thailand. It was
through Kanchanaburi province that the Burmese invaded Thailand in the 18th
century and destroyed the Thai royal capital,
Ayuthaya.
These conflicts had a profound impact on Thai history and culture. (The
destruction of Ayuthaya, moved
the capital to the current site at Bangkok.)
Unfortunately, the 20th century brought even more death and destruction.
In the early stages of World War Two, Japanese victories resulted in the capture
of most of South-East Asia. After the invasion and capture of Burma, the Japanese
started to prepare for the inevitable counter-attack by British forces. By sea,
the trip from Singapore to Rangoon involved a voyage of 2,270 miles. This route
would cause considerable problems for the Japanese merchant marine that also
needed to supply other locations.
With Thailand a loose ally of Japan, an overland route from Kanchanaburi to Rangoon was
investigated. An overland route of about 350 miles was planned which was much
shorter than the approximately 2000 mile trip by sea. While shorter, this route
traveled through some of the most hostile jungle terrain in the world.
The capture of Singapore, Malaya, and the East Indies resulted in a large number
of Allied prisoners and the Japanese had no facilities for their detention. The
Japanese Army made the decision to move these Prisoners of War to Burma and
Thailand to work on the railroad.
The Japanese goal was to complete the railroad in fourteen months. This would be
an extraordinary achievement using modern tools and techniques. The was done by
the Prisoners mostly using bare hands, 8-pound hammers, steel tap drills,
explosives, bars, picks and shovels. During the construction of the railroad more
than 12,000 Prisoners died under incredibly inhumane conditions. In addition, more
than 80,000 Asian laborers died.
Most visitors to Kanchanaburi only know a small part of the story because of the
popular fictional book, The Bridge Over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle and the
movie of the same name staring William Holden and Alec Guinness. The focus of this
story, the Maekhlaung Bridge over the Kwai Noi River at Tamarakan still stands and
is one of the major tourist attractions of the province.
While most visitors visit the Bridge and the nearby Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, few
visit the Hellfire Pass Memorial 80 kilometers northwest of Kanchanaburi. Here,
visitors can begin to understand the ordeal the Allied Prisoners went through.
The Museum consists of artifacts, dioramas, and a film to help explain what
happened here. Leaving the museum and walking down the staircase outside takes the
visitor to the actual railroad bed and through various rock cuttings. Walking
along the abandoned rail bed it is impossible not to be struck by the overall
beauty of the location but the horror of the events here.
The trail starts at the Konyu hammer and tap cutting. The cutting, 20 meters deep,
was done by Prisoners working around the clock for 12 to 18 hour shifts on
starvation rations and brutal Japanese and Korean guards. To enable the Prisoners
to work 24 hours a day, the cutting was lit with oil lamps and fires. Because of
these fires, the Prisoner gave the cutting its nickname, Hellfire Pass.
The rail bed continues past the remains of other cuttings and the former locations
of various bridges. Along the trail, numerous artifacts can be found including
railroad timbers, remains of bridges, electrical lines, railroad spikes, and
broken drills. Plaques along the way explain the various features and also help
explain the story of what happened here.
Although most of the railroad from Ban Pong, Thailand (0km) to Thanbyuzayat, Burma
(415km) is long abandoned, a portion of the railroad from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok
(Tarsau) is still in use. This ride able section of the railroad crosses over the
famous bridge, through the countryside, past the Wampo Viaduct and finally reaches
Nam Tok. The trains leave regularly from the station in Kanchanaburi close to the
famous bridge over the Kwai Noi River.
While the Thailand-Burma railroad is one of the most important historical sites in
Kanchanaburi, Thailand, there are also many other interesting places waiting to be explored.
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