23/04/2026
🚂 REVIEW 25: This is a comprehensive report of a one day-trip in Kanchanaburi. Highlights included a train ride from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok via the Tham Krasae Wooden Trestle Bridge, a Songtaew ride to Hellfire Pass, a long walk to Hin Tok, a stop at a temple for a railway-themed coffee shop and remnants of the railway, a visit to Sai Yok Noi waterfall and a steam locomotive, a train ride back to Kanchanaburi, a boat trip to Chung Kai Cutting and a coffee shop lookout, a visit to Chung Kai War Cemetery, the JEATH War Museum, and finally, a return to the River Kwai Bridge where I had started my day 11 hours earlier. The total cost was 600 baht, which included two train rides, a five-hour songtaew hire, and a 90-minute long-tailed boat hire. Here's how I did it.
My day began at River Kwai Bridge Halt where I caught the Ordinary No. 485 train at 6:07 a.m. Since it's not a station, I was allowed to buy my ticket onboard. For foreigners, the train fare is a flat 100 baht. Some people suggest catching the next train at 10:30 a.m., but I disagree for two main reasons. Firstly, the ride wasn't hot and the train wasn't crowded.
My destination was Nam Tok, the end of the line. There are four highlights along this route, all best seen from the left-hand windows. The first one is immediately as we crossed the bridge over the Khwae Yai River, known to foreigners as the "River Kwai."
Ten minutes later, we reached Chung Kai Cutting (pronounced chong-gai). This cutting was built by prisoners of war. It's similar to the one at Hellfire Pass but not as long. Just after the cutting, you'll get some great views of the Khwae Noi River. We would return here later by boat to visit this cutting.
Just over an hour after the cutting, we reached the third highlight, the Tham Krasae wooden trestle bridge, which hugs the cliff on the right with fantastic views of the Khwae Noi River down below on the left. This was originally built by prisoners of war and has been extensively renovated over the years.
Less than ten minutes later, we reached Wang Pho Station. On your left, you'll see a water tank on stilts that was used to replenish steam locomotives. Shortly after this station, the train starts to climb up into the hills and again hugs the cliff on the right as it goes over a series of bridges with more fantastic views of the river far below. This continues for another ten minutes until we reached the top.
At Nam Tok, you have a number of different options. You can take a songtaew to the nearby Sai Yok Noi Waterfall for 20 baht each. However, I wanted to go to Hellfire Pass, which is much further. The round trip to this museum is 800 baht. Fortunately, I met four backpackers on the train and asked them if they wanted to join my plan and share the cost of renting the songtaew.
Our train had arrived at 8:00 a.m. and the return train was due to leave at 1:00 p.m. So we had five hours. My plan was to go to Hellfire Pass, walk down to the cutting, and then do the long walk. Then, make two stops on the way back to the station.
We arrived at Hellfire Pass thirty minutes later. At the main gates, Australian staff were on duty and briefed us on what to expect. I asked them to tell our driver that we planned to do the long walk and where he needed to pick us up. This saved us from walking the same way back.
📍 Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ezbZs3iigXu4HVTt5?g_st=ic
The museum opened at 9:00 a.m. So while we waited, we had some breakfast and bought some drinks in the nearby shops. We then went into the museum. Most people just walk down into the cutting below, which is only 15 minutes away. First, there are some steep steps down and then level walking along the path of the original railway until the cutting. As we also wanted to do the long walk, an additional one hour of walking, we were briefed and given a walkie talkie to keep in contact. We also borrowed devices for the audio tour. Both the museum and the audio tour were free.
The first part of the walk was relatively easy and flat. However, beyond Hellfire Pass, it can be challenging at times. None of the wooden bridges exist anymore, so we had to keep climbing down into ravines and then back up the other side. We also passed through several more cuttings and along some embankments.
After about an hour, we reached a road where our songtaew driver was waiting. Most people have to walk all the way back from here, but we were happy that we could drive back. However, the driver asked us for an additional 200 baht to do this, as it was a long and winding road to get down here and then a steep climb up a hill back up. We had agreed in advance. So the five-hour songtaew hire cost us 200 baht each.
We had to go back to the museum first to return the audio tour devices and the walkie talkie. Then we headed back to Nam Tok Station with two stops along the way.
Our first stop was at Wat Pu Ta Khian. Behind this temple are the remains of the Death Railway. There are rails and wooden sleepers here, but I was told that the rails were put in more recently. However, they do pre-date the Second World War. At the front of the temple, by the road, there’s a new coffee shop that recently opened. They have upcycled an old rail car to turn it into a coffee shop.
📍 Wat Pu Ta Khian: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFxMiYL1p4ktKt376?g_st=ic
Our second stop was further down the road at Sai Yok Noi Waterfall. This is the present end of the Death Railway. However, only the weekend excursion train comes all the way here. The daily train from Thonburi stops down the hill at Nam Tok Station. At the halt, you will see an old Japanese steam locomotive on permanent display. There is also a waterfall, though there isn’t much water at this time of year. But kids were enjoying swimming in the pool.
We then got back into the songtaew for the short ride back to Nam Tok Station. Here we paid the driver and said goodbye. We then had plenty of time to have a leisurely lunch while waiting for our train, which turned out to be delayed.
Tickets can be bought at the station before boarding the train. They sell them 10-30 minutes before departure. Again, it is a flat 100 baht for foreigners. Going back to Kanchanaburi, all the highlights were on the right this time.
We got off at River Kwai Bridge Halt. While on the train, we had all agreed to share the cost of a 90-minute boat trip from the bridge. We discussed our plan with the boatman. We wanted to make three stops. The agreed price for the 90-minute boat trip was 900 baht to be shared between us.
We started with some great views of the River Kwai Bridge from below. Here we could clearly see the bomb damage on the concrete pillar during air raids.
Our first stop was Chung Kai Cutting. This is similar to Hellfire Pass, but trains still pass through this one. From the railway tracks, we climbed up to the top of the hill for some great views of the Khwae Noi River below and a giant Buddha on a nearby hill. There is a coffee shop here where we bought some cold drinks. For 20 baht, you can also get a return trip to a cave in the temple, but we skipped that.
📍Chung Kai Cutting: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MW2FtP9M11pRQsin8?g_st=ic
Back on the boat, our next stop was Chung Kai War Cemetery. Unlike the war cemetery in town, this one isn’t visited much by people, so it is good to come here to pay respect to the fallen.
📍 Chong Kai Allied War Cemetery: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4SB6vtEf5u3hB4xr9?g_st=ic
We returned to the boat for our third and final stop. This was JEATH War Museum at Wat Chai Chumphon Chana Songkhram. This museum shouldn’t be confused with the one with the same name by the bridge. This is the original one and is housed in a bamboo structure that is supposed to be a replica of the sleeping huts of prisoners of war. There isn’t a lot of information here, but the pictures on display told an interesting story. Entrance is 50 baht.
📍 The JEATH War Museum: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zNMffkoNX7XYuxCy7?g_st=ic
We then got back on the boat for the final trip. Just up the river from here is the new Skywalk. We had the option to end our boat trip here and go up onto the skywalk. But we decided to finish our trip back at the bridge. At the bridge we went our separate ways.
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