Kanchanaburi, Thailand - February 2020

  We're pleased with Thai Smile-Airlines on our domestic flights: Bangkok - Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai - Bangkok. The airlines provided excellent service and of course, with a "smile", like its country known as "the Land of the Smiles".  

Our hotel for the last two nights in Bangkok was near the Suvarnabhumi Airport where we will catch our flight home to the US. The evening back to Bangkok from Chiang Mai, we stopped by the night market near the hotel for some local street foods. 

Variety of snack food at the night market

To wrap up our Thailand trip, we saved our last full day to visit Kanchanaburi Province where the bridge over the River Kwai and the "Death Railway" made famous by the movie " The Bridge Over River Kwai". 

We made it to the Tha Makham Park in Maka District just in time to buy ticket for the popular train ride on the Kra Sae Bridge, commonly known as Death Railway over the river Kwai.

Arriving at the train station

A popular landmark 

Tham Kra Sae Restaurant

Beautiful temple by the river Kwai

The colorful column from the temple.

We enjoyed the beautiful view and scenery from the train. The train ride on the "Death railways" crossed fertile farming fields, rolling hills, and mountain ranges.

 

View from the train 

Resorts by the river

Train snaking over the wooden bridge

We got off at Tham Kra Sae station. From there, a short walk taking us to an observation area to view the bridge, train track and to explore a small cave which was across from the observation area. 

Bougainvillea leading to the Tham kra Sae station

   

Tham Kra Sae observation area

Train track over the river Kwai

A small cave

A temple in the cave

We visited the Death Railway museum before leaving the Tha Makham Park.  

 Death Railway Museum

Overlooking the Kra Sea Bridge and the river Kwai from Death Railway museum.

We took some time to walk the railroad track crossing Kra Sae bridge, a historic railway, overlooking the river Kwai.

On the railroad track, an amazing part of the Death Railway

Over the river Kwai

On the Tham Kra Sae Bridge

Over the river Kwai, the statue of Kuan Yin in the background

Our next stop was to Sai Yok National Park located in Kanchanaburi Province to visit its famous Sai Yok waterfalls. Some parts of the movie "The Deer Hunter" was filmed in Sai Yok National Park in 1978.

Sai Yok Waterfalls

Sai Yok Waterfalls

The last stop in Kanchanaburi Province was the World War II POW cemetery. It's a very impressive cemetery as it contains over 6,900 remains of Allied prisoners of war who perished during the construction of the Death Railway nearby. 

Also known as Don Rak War Cemetery

The cemetery plague

The graves are set up in straight lines, nice and neat and beautifully maintained

A limestone monument in the form of a cross in the center of the cemetery.

It was the end of our 2020 Southeast Asia trip. We came home the day before Valentine's Day. Our month long trip from Thailand, Kua Lumpur, Indonesia and back to Thailand was much enjoyable.  It was the only trip we took before Covid pandemic locked down the world.

In hindsight, it was the best decision we made by not booking the Princess cruise from Singapore after we left Thailand. We dodged the "Covid" bullet this time. It would have been a nightmare if we were stranded on a floating ship!. Thankfully, we made it home safe and Covid free! - Look forward to our next adventure!