Bridge on the River Kwai Excursion

Visit the Bridge on the River Kwai and the War cemetary in Kanchanaburi

One of the more popular day excursions from Hua Hin is to visit the bridge on the river Kwai to remember those that gave their lives to build the Thailand-Burma railway during the second World War while under Japanese control.

Popularized by such movies as the “The Bridge on the River Kwai” and “The Railway Man” this historic site is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Thailand.

The History

Although the construction of a railway between Burma and Thailand was considered as early as 1885 the route was considered to difficult and inhospitable to make it work.

When the Japanese invaded Burma during World War II they wanted to provide an alternate route to bring supplies into the country rather than the existing sea route which was considered too susceptible to attack. Construction of the railway line commenced in 1942 employing forced labor to complete the 415 km track.

Although the exact numbers are not known of the approximate 240,000 prisoners used to build the line around 90,000 are estimated to have lost their lives under brutal conditions.

The railway was completed very quickly and was opened on 17 October 1943.

There are over 600 bridges along the length of the track but the most famous one is bridge 277 which is the one depicted in the movie. The bridge actually passes over the Mae Klong river and in fact two bridges were built. First completed was a wooden bridge that opened in February 1943 and the second, a steel and concrete bridge, opened in June of the same year.

Both bridges were bombed in February 1945 but both were reopened briefly in May after repairs had been made. In June they were bombed again and remained out of action for the rest of the war. The steel and concrete bridge has since been rebuilt.

Many of the Allied prisoners of war are buried at the nearby Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Planning your Excursion

There are many companies that run day trips out of Hua Hin to see the Bridge on the River Kwai and it is probably best to inquire at your hotel to make a booking.