Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LEAF IT ALONE
The tapioca fields dotted throughout Kanchanaburi don't look remarkable, yet sometimes they get special atten-
tion from travellers. Tour guides have spotted visitors surreptitiously picking the leaves and stuffing them into
their bags. The guides then have to patiently explain that while the leaves may closely resemble a marijuana
plant, they really are just plain old tapioca.
Sleeping
Travellers tend to navigate towards a 1km stretch of Th Mae Nam Khwae, where budget
guesthouses offer riverfront views on raft houses. In contrast, there are several new
boutique midrange spots on this strip and just out of town. The erstwhile backpacker hub
along Soi Th Rong Hip Oi has the cheapest beds in town. Check out
Kanchanaburi Info
(
www.kanchanaburi-info.com
)
for more choices.
WHY BRIDGE THE RIVER KHWAE?
The construction of the 'Death Railway' was an astonishing feat of engineering. However, the prisoners and con-
scripted workers who toiled to build it paid a terrible price. Around 100,000 labourers died due to the extreme
conditions.
The railway was built during the WWII-era Japanese occupation of Thailand (1942-43) and its objective was
to link 415km of rugged terrain between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) to secure an alternative supply route for
the Japanese conquest of other west Asian countries. Some considered the project impossible but the track was
completed despite a lack of equipment and appalling conditions.
Construction began on 16 September 1942 at existing stations at Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar and Nong Pladuk
(Ban Pong) in Thailand. Japanese engineers estimated it would take five years to link Thailand and Burma by rail.
In reality, the Japanese army forced the POWs to complete the 1m-gauge railway in 16 months. Much of the work
was done by hand with simple tools used to build bridges and carve cuttings into the sides of the mountains.
As the Japanese demand for faster construction grew, so conditions worsened. The meagre rice supplies were
often laced with kerosene, a by-product of Allied bombing raids over rice stocks. Cholera, malaria and dysentery
were rife, and Japanese guards employed barbaric punishments for anyone who stepped out of line.
The rails were finally joined 37km south of Three Pagodas Pass; a Japanese brothel train inaugurated the line.
The bridge that spans the River Kwai near Kanchanaburi (dubbed the 'Death Railway Bridge') was used for
just 20 months before the Allies bombed it in 1945. Rather than being a supply line, the route quickly became an
escape path for Japanese troops. After the war the British took control of the railway on the Burmese side and
ripped up 4km of the tracks leading to Three Pagodas Pass for fear of the route being used by Karen separatists.
On the Thai side, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) assumed control and continues to operate trains on
130km of the original route between Nong Pladuk, south of Kanchanaburi, to Nam Tok.
Blue Star Guest House
GUESTHOUSE
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