Bridge Over the River Kwai

Take a walk over this historic landmark, which has become the symbol of the infamous Thailand-Burma railway.

Just upriver from Kanchanaburi stands a rather ordinary looking bridge that has become a national landmark. Made world-famous by the 1957 Hollywood film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, this concrete and steel bridge is still in use today, serving as a vital transport connection and link to the past.

Two bridges, one wooden, one steel, were built here in 1943 by local laborers and Allied prisoners of war. These bridges were part of the Japanese “Death Railway” from Thailand to Burma, so-called because its construction led to the deaths of more than 100,000 men due to accidents, brutality and starvation.

In 1945, Allied bombs destroyed the two bridges. The bridge that stands today once again lets trains cross the Kwai Yai River. Take a train over the bridge from the station on the east bank, or walk along the path that has been built on the sides of the bridge and enjoy the views.

Strangely, the bridge was not originally over the River Kwai, but over the Mae Klong River. The film The Bridge on the River Kwai, though loosely based on the story of this bridge, was made under the mistaken impression that the bridge passed over the River Kwai. When the film gained international popularity, Thailand decided to change the name of the river, so that it would have a bridge on the River Kwai, after all.

Today, the bridge is a major tourist attraction, with many restaurants and shops nearby. To see more of the winding Kwai Yai River, take a boat tour with one of the many local operators.

The easiest way to reach the bridge from Kanchanaburi is by train, taxi or bicycle. Admission to the Bridge Over the River Kwai is free.