One of the little known "things to do" in the Kanachanaburi area is to travel by boat on the two main rivers, the Maenam Kwae Yai and the Kwae Noi, the latter one meaning "small" Kwae which is a misnomer as it is really the bigger and longer river leading up all the way to Sangklahburi near the Burmese border at the Three Pagodas Pass.
The best way to explore the river is to book a 4-days / 3-nights trip on the RV River Kwai, a 4 years old river cruiser built in colonial style with 10 airconditioned cabins. Upriver cruises operate MON-THU and downriver THU-SUN, year round, with trips starting and ending in Bangkok.
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There are trains leaving Bangkok Noi Railway Station twice daily at 7.40 a.m. and 1.50 p.m., and stopping at Kanchanaburi Station, River Khwae Bridge, Tha Kilen Station and Namtok Station. The journey takes approximately 4½ hours. For further details, please contact Bangkok Noi Railway Station, Tel. 0 2411 3102.
A one-day return trip by a tourist train is available on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. For more details, please contact the State Railway of Thailand, Tel. 1690, 0 2220 4334 or http://www.railway.co.th.
In town, one of the most popular modes of public transport is by old-fashioned cycle rickshaw (samlor), they cost about the same as motorbike taxis – of course, much slower but definitely safer. If traveling to a national park alone and not by group tour, it is almost mandatory that you have your own car.
From the provincial town there are are non-airconditioned buses available to all province’s districts. There are buses to Suphanburi Town where travelers can stay a pleasant stay before heading to Ayutthaya the next day. Other provinces with buses to are Ratchaburi and Nakhorn Pathom.
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Take Phetchakasem Road or Borommaratchachonnani Road via Nakhon Chai Si, Nakhon Pathom, Ban Pong, Tha Maka, Tha Muang to Kanchanaburi, a total distance of 129 km., taking about 1½ hours.
Non-air conditioned buses are available at Kanchanaburi Bus Station on Saeng Chu To Road to various districts such as Amphoe Bo Phloi, Amphoe Nong Prue, Amphoe Thong Pha Phum and Amphoe Sangkhla Buri, or the several attractions like Namtok Erawan, Namtok Sai Yok Noi, Namtok Sai Yok Yai. For more information,please contact Kanchanaburi Bus Station Tel. 0 3451 1182.
Air-conditioned Bus: From the Southern Bus Terminal, 1st-class buses leave every 20 minutes during 5.00 a.m. – 10.30 p.m., running on the Borommaratchachonnani Road – Nakhon Chai Si route; 2nd-class buses leave every 20 minutes during 5.10 a.m. – 9.00 p.m., running on 2 routes; namely, the old route: Phetchakasem Road – Om Yai – Nakhon Chai Si, and the new route: Borommaratchachonnani Road – Nakhon Chai Si, taking approximately 2 hours.
For more details, please contact Kanchanaburi Tour Co., Ltd., Tel. 0 2435 5012 or www.transport.co.th.
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Most of the local rural people work in the field of agriculture. Even though most of them are of Thai ancestry, there is also a lot of Mon and Karen blood around. As minority people have dwelled in the area for hundreds of years, Kanchanburi enjoys plenty of popular folk festivals.
Ram Yoei is a local dance of the Kanchanaburi local people that has been performed for more than 500 years. They perform Ram Yoei on Songkran Day and New Year, etc. Men and women must form a circle, one person will lead to sing and another will sing to the other’s lyric in reply, and Luk Khu (chorus) will sing along and clap their hands together.
While the latter one sings, each pair of men and women will dance to the rhythm of Klong Yao drums. The men will dress with Chong Kraben and round-necked shirt with pha khao ma or loincloth on their shoulders. Women will be dressed in Thai typical costumes with Sabai Chiang, a breast cloth worn over one shoulder. At present, Ram Yoei is played only in Amphoe Phanom Thuan.
Article source: Wikipedia.
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Kanchanaburi is located where the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers converge into the Mae Klong river, where in 1942, under Japanese control, the famous Bridge on the River Kwai was built by prisoners of war (POWs). A memorial and two museums are also located here: the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum (opened in March 2003), and the JEATH War Museum dedicated to the bridge and the Death Railway. The city is also home to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. It is the easiest access point to the nearby Tiger Temple.
Kanchanaburi spans the northern banks of the river and is a popular spot for travelers, its location at the edge of a mountain range keeping it much cooler than the other provinces of central Thailand. The city has two major commercial districts: the downtown area consists of a grid of several streets with office buildings, shop fronts, and a shopping mall; and the riverfront area businesses are mostly located further west along River Kwai Road. Once a year a carnival comes to town and is set up in the area next to the bridge. At night there is a small pyrotechnics display that reenacts the Allied bombing of the bridge.
Article source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Top Day Trips in Ratchaburi, and Kanchanaburi. Book Now!
