Who does not know the famous movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai?” The much talked about bridge in this film is located in Kanchanaburi about 130 kilometers west of Bangkok. Though the original bridge was partly destroyed by a bomb blast, it was rebuild later to make it a historic location.
The history of this Kanchanburi bridge is depicted in the movie, which goes back to the years of World War II during the Japanese presence in Thailand. At that time, they wanted to build a railway that would link to Burma, through the border crossing at Three Pagodas. Its purpose was to facilitate the passage of troops and goods between the two countries.
The construction of the train line over the River Kwai toward Burma led to the death of many workers, who were mostly allied prisoners or forced asian labourers. Today the train operates everyday curving along the Kanchanaburi river with its amazing views, this is well worth the visit.