Kanchanaburi, which is located where the Kwai Noi (little Kwai) and Kwai Yai (big Kwai) rivers converge into the Mae Klong river, is a popular spot for travellers. The province is home to unspoiled national parks, cavernous caves, beautiful rivers, lakes, waterfalls and temples. With the west bordering mountain ranges and the Myanmar border, the tropical forest in Kanchanaburi is relatively intact comparing to the rest of the country. And for this reason there are no fewer than seven national parks in the province which could keep nature lovers occupied for weeks.
The province is also inextricably linked with the World War II. Thousands of allied prisoners of war (POWs) and forced locals laboured on to build a Japanese military supply line, later known as the Death Railway, which cut through the province’s forests and mountains to link Bangkok and Burma. Many prished under the process. A visit to the peaceful War Cemetery and the well maintained Death Railway museum could be a moving experience for those who’d like to commiserate or learn more on the subject.
Kanchanaburi town center 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 where 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 re-enacts the wartime bombing of the bridge. Kanchanaburi is also large in size when taking in the whole province, at nearly 20,000 square kilometres it is Thailand's 3rd largest provinces, just a little shy of being the largest, and you will need to have well-coordinated travel plan to make sure of smooth trip.