Death Railway & Tham Krasae Viaduct
ทางรถไฟสายมรณะ ถ้ำกระแซ
The most thrilling stretch of the Death Railway: a wooden trestle hugs the cliffs as it curves around the River Kwai. Passengers on the slow-moving train can look down at the river, or you can walk the trestle.
Tham Krasae Viaduct, also known as the Wang Pho Viaduct, is a section of the Thailand–Burma Railway that is still in operation. The wooden truss viaduct is about 400 meters long and was built along the limestone cliffs of the Khwae Noi River. On one side is the rock face and the Tham Krasae Cave, which houses a Buddhist shrine and can be entered. On the other side is the river valley below. The prisoners of war completed this section in just a few weeks under extreme conditions. The most classic experience is to ride an ordinary train from Bangkok Noi or Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok. The train slows to walking speed as it crosses the viaduct, and the best views are from the left side of the carriage (facing toward Nam Tok). You can also get off at Tham Krasae station, walk along the tracks to the viaduct for photos, and visit the riverside restaurant nearby. Getting there: about 1.5–2 hours by train from Kanchanaburi city, or about 1 hour by car or chartered vehicle along Route 323. Notes: the viaduct is an active railway, so watch the train timetable, and step onto a refuge platform when a train approaches. Foreigners pay a fixed train fare, and the official fare is set by a notice from the State Railway of Thailand.
Opening hours
Follows train schedule; boardwalk walkable all day
Nearby sights
- Mueang Sing Historical Park
- Mallika City R.E. 124
- Elephants World
- Death Railway Train to Nam Tok
- Sai Yok Noi Waterfall
- Erawan Falls
- Lawa Cave
- Hellfire Pass Memorial