We started at the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, a place with a lot of hard history behind it, and took some quiet time there. The bridge was part of the Thailand-Burma railway, built in 1942 and 1943 by prisoners of war and labourers forced to work by the Japanese army. Close by is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, where nearly 7,000 of the prisoners of war who died building the railway are buried.
After that came something much newer: the Kanchanaburi Skywalk, a glass walkway high above the riverbank. It opened in 2022 and runs for 150m, 12m above the ground. Walking out over the see-through floor gave us a great view of the point where the Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi rivers meet.
In the evening we went to the Kanchanaburi night market, our first real taste of the food on this trip, with street food sizzling and the smell of spices everywhere.
Good to know
- The Death Railway: the bridge was part of the Thailand–Burma railway, built in 1942 and 1943 by prisoners of war and labourers forced to work by the Japanese army.
- Kanchanaburi War Cemetery: close to the bridge, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery holds nearly 7,000 prisoners of war who died building the railway. The Thailand–Burma Railway Centre museum next door explains the history. Thailand–Burma Railway Centre
- The Skywalk: it’s 150m long and 12m above the ground, opened in 2022, and free apart from a 60-baht charge for shoe covers.
We checked these details in October 2026. Times, prices and rules do change, so it’s worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.