Kanchanaburi was made famous during the Second World War when allied prisoners of war were forced to construct a bridge over the River Kwai, this is where those events took place. The town of Kanchanaburi, which lies 130km west of Bangkok, was originally established by King Rama I to act as a defence against the Burmese.

The JEATH war museum nearby contains photographs, artefacts and other items relating to the prisoner of war camp. There is also the War Museum at the Bridge that, besides the events in this area during the Second World War, also deals with the history of the border between Thailand and Burma. The Don-Rak and Chonk-Kai War Cemeteries, which combined, contain the remains of nearly 10,000 allied service personnel who died during the making of the Thai-Burmese railway. As far as the bridge itself, it was rebuilt after the war, but traces of the original bridge can still be found in the remaining bridge spans and daily trains still follow the original route from Kanchanburi to the station at Nam Tok.

Apart from the Bridge there is also wonderful scenery in this area, such as the seven levels of Erawan Falls set amongst the jungle of the Erawan National Park, as well as Thai and Chinese temples. There are also many activities to be enjoyed, like kayaking, water skiing, bamboo rafting, golf, elephant rides and much more. There are also several tour companies offering various excursions in the area, and there are many excellent guest houses and hotels.

Bus connections between Bangkok and Kanchanburi are also very good, with buses leaving Bangkok every fifteen minutes throughout the day. There is also a regular train service.