Arresting
scenic beauty. Forested mountains. Waterfalls. Pristine
national parks. Tranquil riverine and reservoir settings.
Leisure opportunities including jungle treks employing
elephants and rafts. Historical associations dating from
Neolithic times to the Second World War…
There
are several compelling reasons for visiting Kanchanaburi.
Thailand’s
third largest province, Kanchanaburi covers some 19,473
square and oftentimes mountainous kilometres, and borders
Myanmar (Burma) to the west of Bangkok. The compact provincial
capital, some 130 kilometres, and a comfortable two-hour
drive from Bangkok, is both the site of the world-famous
Bridge Over The River Kwae, immortalised in books and
movies, and gateway to a region of rugged natural beauty.
Countryside beyond the provincial capital is characterised
by mountains and fertile river valleys (the Kwae Yai and
Kwae Noi) which have inspired the development of hydro-electric
power, and where labyrinthine dam reservoirs provide further
scenic elements to the province’s natural beauty.
Distances
from Amphoe Mueang (Town) to Neighbouring Districts :
Tha
Muang 12 km
Phanom Thuan 24 km
Tha Maka 30 km
Dan Makham Tia 30 km
Sai Yok 50 km
Thong Pha Phum 145 km
Sangkhla Buri 230 km
Si Sawat 102 km
Bo Phloi 40 km
Nong Prue 75 km
Huai Krachao 60 km
Lao Khwan 97 km
How
to Get There
Car
:
By
Car: From Bangkok, visitors can take a 2-hour drive along
Highway No.4 (Phetkasem) via Nakhon Chaisi, Nakhon Pathom,
Ban Pong, Tha Maka, Tha Muang to Kanchanaburi.For
an alternative route, visitors can drive along Highway
No. 338 from Bangkok to Nakhon Chaisi and then proceed
along Highway No.4 to Kanchanaburi.
Bus :
By
Bus : Non air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok’s Southern
Bus Terminal every 15 minutes from 4 a.m.-8 p.m. The trip
takes about 2 hours. Call :0 2434 5557 for more information.
There are 2 types of air-conditioned buses. Standard 1
buses (blue colour) leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal
from 5 a.m. till 10.30 p.m. daily at twenty-minute intervals.
Standard 2 buses (orange colour) leave at twenty-minute
intervals from 5.10 a.m. until 8.30 p.m. daily. The journey
takes 2 hours. Call: 0 2435 5012, 0 2435 1199 for more
information.
Train
:
By
Rail: Ordinary trains leave Bangkok’s Thon Buri Railway
Station (Bangkok Noi Station) every day at 7.35 a.m. and
1.45 p.m. for approximately 3 hour journey to Kanchanaburi.
Call Thon Buri Railway Station at tel: 0 2411 3102 or
Kanchanaburi Railway Station at tel: 0 3456 1052 or visit
www.srt.motc.go.th.
The weekend special train leaves Bangkok Railway Station
(Hualamphong) at 6.30 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public
holidays. For more information, call : 1690, 0 2223 7010,
0 2223 7020.
Travel
within KANCHANABURI
Transportation
within the provincial capital is most enjoyable on tricycles.
Tricycles can be hired at reasonable rate, enabling visitors
to see the Bridge over the River Kwae, the Kanchanaburi
War Cemetery, the waterfront Song Kwae Road area, and
the JEATH War Museum in one circuit.
Transportation
between the districts is also convenient by regular bus.
Call Kanchanaburi bus terminal at tel: 0 3451 1387 for
more information.
For
visitors who like to drive by themselves, motorcycles
or jeeps can be rented on a daily or weekly basis at several
outlets on Saeng Chuto Road and around the Song Kwae Road
area.
Essentially,
there are two major land routes for exploring the main
conveniently accessible tourist attractions in Kanchanburi.
The more western Route 323 largely parallels the Kwae
Noi River to Sangkhla Buri District (some 230 kilometres
from the provincial capital) via Sai Yok, Thong Pha Phum,
and Vajiralongkorn Dam. Route 3199 follows the Kwae Yai
River to Srinagarindra Dam (69 kilometres away from the
provincial captital).
Besides
the network of roads throughout the provincial area, the
railway and the waterways which stretch through the heart
of town also offer comfortable and alternate trips to
out-of-town attractions. Travelling by train from Kanchanaburi
to Namtok Station near Sai Yok Noi Waterfall is recommended
for visitors wishing to experience trips on the historic
railway. Trains leave Kanchanaburi Railway Station 3 times
daily at 6.11 a.m., 11 p.m. and 16.37 p.m. and stops at
the Bridge over the River Kwae, Tha Kilen (near Mueang
Sing Historical Park), Tham Krasae, Wang Pho and ends
at Namtok Railway Station. For more information, call
Kanchanaburi Railway Station at tel: 0 3456 1052
From
the Pak Saeng Pier in Tambon Tha Sao, visitors can hire
a boat with a carrying capacity of 10-12 persons to visit
the Lawa Cave and Sai Yok Yai Waterfall. It takes around
4 hours for the return trip. The 1-hour boat ride to Huai
Mae Khamin Waterfall starts from the Tha Kradan Pier,
12 kilometres from Srinagarindra Dam.
Visitors
are advised to check with the Tourism Authority of Thailand
(TAT)’s office in Kanchanaburi for prevailing rates and
the availability of alternate methods of transportation
such as on public holidays and weekends.
