Kanchanaburi

Best known as the site of the “bridge on the river Kwai”, this quiet town is also a great hub for exploring the lush jungle scenery that surrounds it.
Bridge on the River KwaiDespite the incredibly beautiful scenery of Kanchanaburi, foreigners know it best as the site where many thousands of Allied prisoners of war and Asian forced laborers died building the Death Railway for the Japanese Imperial Army in WWII. The railway, including Hellfire Pass and the River Kwai Bridge, still stand as testimony to those dark times. Details of the conflict, with photographs and artifacts, are on display at the JEATH Museum.
Remembrance ServicesGraves of the POWs who died on the railway project are well tended in Kanchanaburi and Chung Kai Allied War Cemeteries; the former is not far from the bridge. Remembrance services are conducted here every April 25. The bridge itself is a major tourist attraction; you can walk across it or ride the train that takes sightseers along what remains of the railway. In early December, the town puts on a light and sound show depicting the Allies’ bombing of the bridge in 1945.
Thailand-Burma Railway CenterThe Thailand-Burma Railway Center is a private owned interactive museum, information and research facility. It is mainly dedicated to presenting the history of this infamous railway to the general public. Located only steps away from the Karnchanaburi War Cemetery and fully conditioned, the center is perfectly the next attraction site for visitors to learn more about the ordeal of the prisoners of war (POWs) during the captivity and slave labor under the power of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Inside, there are different gallery sections dedicated to each specific part in the history of the railway: the introduction gallery; the gallery about the railway planning, construction and logistics; the railway geography gallery; the gallery about the living conditions of the POWs; the medical aspects gallery; the gallery about the summary of the deaths; the gallery about the end of the railway and the gallery about the stories after the war. In some sections, models and actual artifacts from the war are on display.
Visitors will find it easy to learn about the story of this historic railway as the galleries are displayed in chronological sequence. Upon leaving, visitors can buy handicrafts by the Weaving for the Women Project and relax at the center’s coffee shop from which the peaceful green field dotted of tombs of the Karnchanaburi War Cemetery can be seen.
Surrounding AttractionsAside from the train, raft and long-tail boats are a great way to view the gorges, waterfalls and jungle-clad hills of the area. There are also interesting caves around Kanchanaburi, and Wat Tham Mongkon Thong is famous for its floating nun, who meditates while floating in a pool of water. Not far from Kanchanaburi town are the Erawan Falls, which are at their most spectacular in the rainy season. Further on, tour boats take tourists on trips around the reservoir at the Sri Nakharin Dam.
Reference : http://www.circleofasia.com/Kanchanaburi-Thailand.htm