Travel Back in Time at Kanchanaburi Museums and Historical Parks

Kanchanaburi, Thailand is a historical province that still bears the marks of an 18th century civilization. It also played an important part during the second World War. Know more about its history by visiting these museums and historical parks in and around town.


Aiming to present a truly gratifying accommodation for discerning travelers, several Kanchanaburi guesthouses, like the Saiyok River House, provide guided tours to the primary attractions in and around the town. Apart from being an 18th century Thai civilization, Kanchanaburi became one of the country's most remarkable province during the second World War. So, if you're heading to this place for a vacation, enjoy a travel back in time as you visit these museums and historical parks that define the town's history and heritage.


Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum
Co-sponsored by the Royal Thai Armed Forces Development Command and the Australian government, the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum was instituted to commemorate the sacrifices of those involved in the construction of the infamous Death Railway. The site is known as the Konyu Cutting where the prisoners of war were brutally forced to cut through solid rocks. Aside from the interactive displays and audio tour inside the museum, you can also walk through the cutting itself and along a section of the former railway track bed.


Muang Sing Historical Park
Declared as national historical site in 1987 , the Muang Sing Historical Park features the ruins of 2 Khmer temples that were built in 13th century. The remains of the shrines still manifest their Bayon (richly decorated) architecture. Four iconic monuments are scattered in the complex. In the boundary of the park, there is a depository that shelters a wide collection of artifacts and sculptures.


JEATH War Museum
The acronym JEATH stands for Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand, and Holland – the nationalities of the prisoners of war (POWs) who suffered on the construction of the bridge on the River Kwai. The structure of the war museum looks exactly the same with the original huts that sheltered the POWs. These bamboo huts holds a display of wartime artifacts, such as weapons, tools, paintings, drawings, and photos of the prisoners. Built inside the Wat Chai Chumphon temple, the depository exhibits actual items that were related with the Death Railway.


Ban Kao National Museum
Situated beside a Neolithic burial site, the Ban Kao National Museum showcases skeleton remains, clay wares, and sets of jewelery made from animal bones. The locals believed that the site was inhabited by Neolithic people almost 4000 years ago. This national museum is located 35 km from Kanchanaburi, overlooking the Kwai Noi River.


Thai-Burma Railway Center
Established to present the history of the Thai-Burma Death Railway, this center serves as an interactive museum and research facility. Located near the town's war cemetery, Thai-Burma Railway Center offers a comprehensive narrative of Thailand's war history. With the use of video footage, models, and detailed exhibits, the museum explains the role of Kanchanaburi in WWII. It also houses a library containing books, maps, and photographs that depict the construction of the railway. Most Thailand accommodations, like the Saiyok River House, arrange guided trips to this center.