Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

Top choice in Kanchanaburi

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This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers forced to build the Thailand–Burma Railway. Kanchanaburi's role in WWII is thoroughly explained, but most of the museum traces the journey of railway workers from transport in cramped boxcars to disease-ridden labour camps in the jungle, as well as survivors' fates after the war. Allow time for the poignant video with testimony from both POWs and Japanese soldiers.

Galleries upstairs display wartime artefacts, and there's a 3m-deep diorama showing how Hellfire Pass got its name.

You'll need at least an hour for your visit. For in-depth wartime and railway history, the centre can organise half-day (per two people 4100B) to multiday tours in and around Kanchanaburi. Advanced booking is required; enquire via its website (under 'Railway Pilgrimages').

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The Death Railway, bridge over the River Kwai

    Death Railway Bridge

    1.54 MILES

    Constructed by POW labour, this 300m-long bridge is heavy with the history of the Thailand–Burma Railway. Its centre was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945…

  • Wat Ban Tham

    Wat Ban Tham

    5.58 MILES

    In the countryside around Kanchanaburi, cave temples are almost as common as convenience stores are inside the city, but this is one of the most…

  • Allied War Cemetery - the final resting place for World War II prisoners who died building the Thailand-Burma railway. Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

    Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

    0.09 MILES

    Immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this is the larger of Kanchanaburi's two war cemeteries, and is right in town. Of the…

  • Muang Sing Historical Park

    Muang Sing Historical Park

    18.8 MILES

    The ruins of 'Lion City', the westernmost-known Khmer outpost, are spread around a 102-hectare compound girded by 4.5km of walls. Serving most likely as…

  • Wat Tham Seua

    Wat Tham Seua

    7.65 MILES

    The centrepiece of this hilltop temple is a striking 18m-high Buddha covered in golden mosaic. One of the merit-making ceremonies for devotees is to place…

  • Tham Krasae

    Tham Krasae

    24.61 MILES

    Tham Krasae (Krasae Cave) was used by the Japanese while building this difficult stretch of the Death Railway. The wooden trestle bridge they ordered the…

  • WWII Museum

    WWII Museum

    1.49 MILES

    Close to the Death Railway Bridge, at this eclectic museum you'll see trains, Japanese motorcycles, anchors and old helmets, plus a great view of the…

  • Wat Tham Khao Pun

    Wat Tham Khao Pun

    2.62 MILES

    The nearest cave temple to Kanchanaburi town is a fun labyrinth of illuminated passageways. The marked trail is a bit of a squeeze in some places (and can…

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Nearby Kanchanaburi attractions

1. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

0.09 MILES

Immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this is the larger of Kanchanaburi's two war cemeteries, and is right in town. Of the…

2. Chinese Cemetery

0.2 MILES

In contrast to the manicured uniformity of the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery next to it, this Chinese cemetery is somewhat overgrown but contains some large…

3. Wat Thewa Sangkharam

0.41 MILES

This sizeable temple in Kanchanaburi is worth a wander to admire its grand, bell-shaped stupa near the river and various Thai-style shrines. In particular…

4. Heritage Walking Street

0.78 MILES

A stroll along this city centre street offers a glimpse of a bygone Kanchanaburi. Many buildings date to the 1920s and '30s and their Sino-Portuguese,…

5. City Gate

0.89 MILES

This restored original city gate (built 1831) is a remnant of Kanchanaburi's once mighty defensive walls, which linked six fortresses. Just behind it is a…

6. Lak Meuang

0.9 MILES

Behind the City Gate stands this small, gold-trimmed shrine for Kanchanburi city's guardian spirit.

7. JEATH War Museum

1.16 MILES

This small museum, opened in 1977, mostly focuses on the terrible ordeals of the POWs who built the Death Railway. Their harsh living conditions are shown…

8. Wat Chaichumphon

1.25 MILES

Next to the JEATH War Museum, this temple has some interesting statues and shrines, including one fashioned from a WWII-era boat dredged out of the river.

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  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
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