Can you ride the Death Railway?
It is possible to go on a ride along these rail tracks, sheer cuttings and wooden bridges as it winds its way along the river crossing over the famous Bridge on the River Kwai and back in to Kanchanaburi town and.
Why is it called the Death Railway?
During World War II, the Japanese forced more than 60,000 allied prisoners of war and nearly 300,000 Southeast Asian labourers to build a 415km railway across the mountains and jungles between Thailand and Myanmar (then Burma). Tens of thousands died during the construction and it became known as the “Death Railway”.
Why was it called Hellfire Pass?
Hellfire Pass is so called because of the fact that the pass was light up by torchlights in the night, which made the prisoners working in these harsh conditions in the night with the red light shining on them visually resembling Hell.
How many died building the Death Railway?
100,000 people
The workers were maltreated, malnourished and exhausted, and as a result it’s thought that in excess of 100,000 people died during the construction of the railway – showing precisely why it came to be known as the Death Railway. It’s thought that one worker died for each wooden sleeper that was laid for the track.
How long is the Death Railway?
415 km
The Burma Railway, also known as the Death Railway, the Siam–Burma Railway, the Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, is a 415 km (258 mi) railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma, built from 1940 to 1943 by civilian labourers impressed or recruited by the Japanese and prisoners of war taken by the …
What happened at Kanchanaburi?
KANCHANABURI, Thailand (AP) _ A mass grave has been discovered near the site where more than 100,000 Asian slave workers and Allied prisoners died building a railroad for the Japanese during World War II. The remains of several hundred people have been dug up since Tuesday, when the excavation began.
Who built Hellfire Pass?
Although it was not easy to locate, they found Hellfire Pass, full of tangled undergrowth. One ex-prisoner, Tom Morris, became committed in 1983 to developing the Pass as a commemorative site honouring the allied prisoners of war and the Thais who risked their lives to supply them with food and medicines.
Why is Kanchanaburi famous?
Kanchanaburi attracts huge crowds of tourists interested in learning about the dark histories of Thailand during World War II. The Thai-Burma Railway (also known as the Death railway) was constructed for the Japanese to cross the border with Burma to the north-west.
How many Australians died on the Burma Railway?
The railway has entered the Australian consciousness as a byword for courage and resilience in the face of extreme hardship and cruelty. About 2800 Australians died building the railway.
How to get to Death Railway in Kanchanaburi?
Death Railway Tour by Your Thai Guide. There are many ways from getting from Bangkok to the various attractions of the Death Railway in Kanchanaburi. This includes by car, bus, or boat. There are even third-class train rides along a restored section of the line from Nong Pladuk to the Nom Tok for 100 baht.
How much is the train ticket from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi?
A one-way ticket costs 110 THB per person. A minibus service runs daily every 20-30 minutes, between 5 am and 11 pm and leaves from Mochit station in Bangkok. The journey to Kanchanaburi takes two hours. A one-way ticket costs 110 THB per person.
What is the history of Kanchanaburi?
Kanchanaburi is one of them. Kanchanaburi is home to the Bridge on the River Kwai – a steel construction built by the Japanese during World War II. The railway line that starts just around the corner from the bridge and runs through it stretches for 250 miles.
Who is buried at Kanchanaburi cemetery?
Just up the street from the Bridge on the River Kwai is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. This cemetery is the resting place for nearly 7,000 Australian, English, and Dutch POWs who died during the construction of the Death Railway. The remains of American POWs have since been returned to the US.