Probably part of your Thailand adventure will be to jump aboard the notorious The Burma Railway, also known as the notorious Death Train in Kanchanaburi or Death Railway.
The railway was a 415 kilometers railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma, built by the Empire of Japan in 1943 to support its forces in the Burma campaign of World War II. This can potentially be one of the highlight experiences of your trip depending on your goals.
The train can be boarded at various stops along the way, so catching it from Bangkok, Ban Pong or even the Bridge of the River Kwai all all great options. I went with driving to the River Kwai Bridge (128 km west of Bangkok), and boarding from there.
The train trip into the mountains along the river even from that point is 2 hours. There is no air conditioning, just old ceiling fans, timber seats and large windows to allow some heat to escape. Take plenty of water with you, but if you forget, women can be found walking the train selling fresh fruit and cold drinks.
Safety on the train is by no means paramount, hanging out the doors while scooting along isn’t exactly a safe practice, but its also not frowned upon.
The main section of track that constitutes what so many tourists are catching the train to see, is only approximately 500 meters long. Its is suspended above the river below on the side of the cliff. It is quite magnificent but also a little daunting when you hear the noises come from the tracks moving as the train passes.
Just don’t expect hours of this type of death defying train experience, most of the trip is just passing through rural villages, with the main excitement lasting mere minutes.
The cutting at Hellfire Pass was one of the most difficult (and deadly for POWs) sections to build on the railway. Estimates of the deaths directly related to the construction of the Burma railway differ depending upon the source.
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