We then drove to the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, which tells the story of the construction of the Death Railway.
During World War II, the Japanese, who had influence in Southeast Asia, began building a railway from Thailand to Burma, over 400 kilometers long through hills and mountains, which was ultimately never completed and was later called the Death Road. During its construction, about 100 thousand people involved in construction died or were killed: prisoners of war, prisoners, military personnel and ordinary local people.
From the series “Through Thailand by Car”
The memorial is located approximately 80 km northwest of Kanchanaburi and can be reached via Highway 323. GPS Coordinates of Hellfire Pass: 14.360524° N, 98.945274° E.
Directions to the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum
Museum information
The Hellfire Pass Memorial in Thailand was built with money from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and the Australian Foundation for Veterans who took part in the construction of the railway as prisoners of war. Its purpose is to preserve the memory of Allied prisoners and Asian forced laborers who died or were killed during the construction of the railroad "Death Road". The museum was opened in 1996.
Entrance to the museum is free.
If you are traveling by car, then it is most convenient to plan a visit to the attractions of Kanchanaburi province in order to visit Erawan waterfall(Erawan Waterfall), after it explore the Hellfire Pass, and in the evening return to Kanchanaburi and watch the sunset, looking at bridge over the river kwai(Bridge over river Kwai).
Map of Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum facilities
History of railway construction in Asia
The memory of this black page in the history of Thailand is preserved today in memorial complexes, museums, as well as in cinema and literature. One such place where you can go back many years and take a trip through history is Hellfire Pass, a museum and memorial that tells the story of the inhuman life of the builders of this railroad, and details the construction of the most difficult passages for laying the railway through the rocks. It is known to the Japanese as Konyu Cutting and the Thai version is ช่องเขาขาด. Hellfire Pass got its name because the work was carried out around the clock, and at night the sight of exhausted forced laborers in the light of torches resembled scenes from hell.
The Hellfire Pass was a particularly difficult section of the railway being built from Thailand to Burma. To pass the line through the Tenasserim Hills it was necessary to make several passes through high cliffs that could not be circumnavigated
Railroad through the hilly regions of Thailand. Part relating to the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum
This section of the railway was located at a great distance from large cities, and combined with the lack of high-quality tools and a sufficient amount of construction equipment, it became, in fact, hell on earth for the people involved in construction work
The picture depicts the hellish labor of forced laborers
Despite the possibility of building tunnels through rocks, the simplest and fastest construction option was chosen - a direct passage through the rock, created by chiseling with jackhammers and explosive detonation of rock.
Hellfire pass - passage through the rock
This fast route, however, required excess manual labor, but at that time the Japanese did not experience a shortage of labor and chose the fastest construction options, since the future railway was a strategically important element in waging war. Thus, a passage in the rock, which is part of the memorial complex, 73 m long and up to 25 meters high, was made for several months
It took three months to break through this rock.
The prisoners of war involved in the work worked 18 hours a day, and the Japanese beat those who disagreed to death.
Manual labor predominated in the construction of the railway.
During construction it was necessary not only to chisel rocks, but also to build bridges
Construction of a section of a wooden bridge
Many not workers, but modern slaves, died from various diseases, such as cholera, dysentery, and no one counted those who died from starvation and exhaustion. But most of the deaths were among the Malays and Chinese, whom the Japanese attracted to work on the railway with promises of high income and good working conditions.
The railway track passed through a huge rock
But the railway was never completed, and when the Allied troops began to push back the Japanese, part of it was blown up or bombed. Today, part of this railway is used mainly for passenger transport, and the remaining part, with the exception of a memorial section of the railway track along which you can walk in memory of the victims, which is just over 4 kilometers long, is closed and abandoned.
The museum presents exhibits from the daily life of workers, which in complete silence tell about their slave life and inhuman labor
Modest belongings of forced laborers
Museum exhibits tell about the daily life of construction participants
Hand tools used in railroad construction
Inside the museum
Walk through the tunnel, which was built during the Second World War
The museum itself is located in a small building located on a hill, from which a convenient staircase leads down to the largest passage through the rock.
Information stand about Hellfire Pass before descending onto the railway track
The walk to it will take you about twenty minutes, first along the stairs, then along the railway track
Wagons with military cargo were supposed to go here
Canvas carved along the rock
At the beginning of the passage, a small piece of the original railway track has been preserved, and in the passage itself, in the rock, a stuck chisel of a jackhammer, which was used to chisel the rock, has been preserved
A jackhammer chisel remains forever in the rock
The current version of the page has not yet been verified by experienced participants and may differ significantly from the one verified on December 15, 2017; checks are required.
Thai-Burma Railway, also known as Road of Death- railway between Bangkok (Thailand) and Rangoon (Burma), built by Imperial Japan during World War II. The length of the road was 415 kilometers (of which almost 13 km (8 miles) were bridges). The road was used to supply Japanese troops in the Burma Campaign.
The possibility of building a railway line between Thailand and Burma was considered in the 20th century by the British government of Burma, but the proposed route, through hilly jungles with many rivers, was considered an impossible task. In 1942, Japanese troops invaded Burma from Thailand and retook it from Britain. To supply their troops in Burma, the Japanese used the sea route through the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea. This route was constantly attacked by Allied submarines and required a large number of transport ships. The obvious alternative was the construction of a railway. It began almost simultaneously on both sides in June 1942. On October 17, 1943, both lines connected. But by that time the situation at the front had begun to change in favor of the Allies, and the need for the road disappeared as the Japanese began to retreat from Southeast Asia.
The most famous part of the road is bridge number 277 over the Khway Yai River. The river was originally called Maek Long, but the success of the 1957 film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (based on the novel of the same name by Pierre Boulle) prompted the Thai authorities to rename the river course above the confluence of the tributary Khuenoi (“small tributary”) to Khway Yai (“big tributary”) in 1960 tributary").
The first wooden bridge across this river was completed in February 1943, a reinforced concrete bridge was built in June. Allied aircraft tried several times to destroy this bridge, but only on April 2, 1945, bridge 277 was bombed. After the end of the war, the two central sections were restored in Japan and transferred to Thailand under reparations.
As a result of military operations, the road was rendered unusable, and there was no traffic on it for a long time. The reconstruction took place in three stages and ended on July 1, 1958. Only part of the road (130 km) located in Thailand has been restored and is still in use. Most of the line has been dismantled, and the rails have been used in the construction of other railway projects. Mostly tourists come here, as well as relatives and descendants of dead prisoners.
The northern sections of the road passing through the territory of Burma (now Myanmar) were deliberately not restored due to fear of an armed attack from Maoist China. Today they are swallowed up by the jungle. In the 1990s, there were plans for a complete reconstruction of the railway, but they have not yet come to fruition.
Hard labor was used to build the road. Working and living conditions were terrible. About 180 thousand Asian convicts and 60 thousand prisoners of war of the anti-Hitler coalition built the Death Road. During construction, approximately 90,000 Asian convicts and 16,000 prisoners of war died from hunger, disease and cruel treatment. Among the deceased prisoners of war there were: 6,318 British, 2,815 Australians, 2,490 Dutch, 356 Americans and several located in the city of Kanchanaburi, where 6,982 prisoners of war are buried.
Several museums tell the story of those who lost their lives during the construction of the railroad. The largest of them is located in Hellfire Pass, a place where many construction workers died. There is also an Australian memorial here.
A memorial plaque was installed on the bridge over the Khwayai River in memory of the victims of Japanese crimes.
22.10.2018
The provincial town of Kanchanaburi is located 130 km from Bangkok (the capital of Thailand).
Tourists from all over the world come here to see the famous “Road of Death” - the railway between Thailand and Burma.
The classic version of the excursion includes: a military cemetery, a war museum, a trip along the “Bridge of Death”. Lasts 1 day, from approximately 7 am to 6 pm.
If you have enough time, you can enrich the excursion with other attractions. For example, on the first day visit the “Road of Death”, the War Museum and the Hell Fire Pass Museum, on the second - the floating market, the Tiger Temple, on the third - Yerevan Park, the elephant village. With such a schedule it will be convenient to live in Kachanaburi.
Those who like comfort and stability will, of course, choose an excursion through a travel agency. It’s convenient because everything goes according to schedule and there’s no “one step to the right, one step to the left.” If you want to truly feel the flavor, enjoy plenty of beautiful landscapes, experience untouched nature, plunge into history without haste, then it is better to take a map (a guide with the main stops), a taxi or rent a car and explore the area yourself.
You can get there by bus (2-3.5 hours) with or without air conditioning and amenities (cheaper). Depart from the Southern Bus Station every 20 minutes. Or by train (3-3.5 hours), but this is not the same. In any case, the excursion will be interesting and useful.
In 2 hours the car will take you from Bangkok to the war cemetery (Kanchanaburi War Cemetry), where almost 7 thousand are buried. prisoners of war from Austria, Holland, Great Britain.
Next is the war museum, or literally JEATH War Museum. The first word of the name is made up of the first letters of the list of countries that participated in the construction of the bridge over the River Kwai. These are Japan (Japan), England (England), Australia (Australia), Thailand (Thailand), Holland (Holland).
In the museum you can see photographs, weapons, testimonies of the surviving builders of the unfortunate bridge and much more from those times. There is also a souvenir shop with lots of beautiful trinkets.
"Bridge of Death" is the most famous section of the Thai-Burmese railway. The reinforced concrete bridge originally crossed a river called Maeklong. But after the successful release of the film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957) on the big screen, the Thai authorities gave it the name that tourists still hear today – the River Kwai. During the war, the bridge was bombed 2 times and restored 2 times.
The next stop on our excursion is the “Road of Death”, with a length of more than 240 thousand crippled destinies, more than 100 thousand. killed by inhumane working conditions, hard labor and constant abuse.
At this cost, the Japanese government during World War II shortened the route from Burma to Thailand to supply its troops with everything they needed. But the British government in Burma also considered such construction. But the dense impenetrable jungle, a large number of rivers, rocks and mountains made this task impossible.
Japan retook Burma from Britain. There is a sea route from Thailand to Burma, but it is very unreliable. It was often attacked, many submarines and ships were required. Therefore, the Japanese authorities decided to build a shortcut bypass at any cost. In just over a year, convicts and prisoners built 415 km of railway track through thickets and stones, through suffering, illness and death.
To date, 130 km of the road have been reconstructed, the rest is in the plans. And Japan's actions are recognized as a war crime. A ride on the Death Road train serves as a reminder of the perseverance and courage of the builders, and of the terrible consequences of the Second World War.
You can also visit the Hell Fire Pass Museum and Road. This 4km section of the Death Road passes through a hole in the rock of HellFire Pass to the Burmese border. Almost 700 people died when it was built. Nearby, in Hell's Passage, there is a museum and an Australian memorial (in memory of the fallen builders).
On the River Kwai, many tourists raft in vests for about 2 km along the stream. In this case, you don’t need to do anything, the river itself will carry you away.
Damnon Saduak floating market is located 100 km from Bangkok. From the very morning, traders from different surroundings come here in narrow boats. They sell fruits, souvenirs, flowers, seafood, fashionable clothes, etc.
To appreciate the beauty and unusualness of the market, the variety of goods, the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the traders, it is better to rent a boat for half a day. This way you can enjoy Thai life, capture moments and treat yourself to national cuisine cooked on the boat. And 4 hours will fly by.
The other part of the day can be spent at the Tiger Temple. It is open until 16.30. The bus will take you here in half an hour from Kanchanaburi (40 km). Founded in 1994, the temple has become home to many tiger cubs, as well as a couple of wild boars, horses, water bulls and other exotic animals of the local jungle.
During the day they do not sit in enclosures, but walk freely and eat from the hands of tourists. For a fee, you will be taken closer to the tigers and given the opportunity to take photos together. Many visitors believe that the monks greatly inflate their prices. But it’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth supporting the temple and the animals living in it.
On the third day of the excursion, you can pay attention to the Elephant Village and Yerevan National Park with its amazing waterfalls. This system of waterfalls is conventionally divided into 7 levels: the first level is the lowest in height, and then, gradually, you need to climb up and pass all the rapids.
The water here is saturated with calcium, which is why it takes on unusual shapes and has a beautiful turquoise color. In many places there are lakes and baths in which you can swim or lie down, enjoying the panorama of the jungle. And many small fish will peel your feet (gnaw off dead and dead skin). The feeling is fantastic. If you come to Kanchanaburi, be sure to visit Yerevan Park.
Next stop is the elephant village. Here you can watch a baby elephant show, take a photo with them or feed them bananas, and also ride elephants in the jungle for an additional fee. Only the elephant rides, it’s safer.
For such a rather large excursion, you need to take a little: cameras/video cameras, swimsuits/swimming trunks, a change of underwear, a light hat, beach slippers, a warm sweater and towel, soap, toothpaste and a brush, if you are planning an excursion for more than one day. Clothes should be made from natural fabrics (cotton, for example).
A guidebook will be very useful to you. One of the best guides in the world is the Lonely Planet guides. Its cost is considerable. The information provided in it (routes around the country, description, work schedule, cost of entry to museums, galleries, castles, hotel rooms and meals) is worth it. It will save your time, money and effort. And, of course, don’t forget to bring a good mood!
Tourists who come to Kachanaburi must be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B due to the risk of encephalitis and malaria. At the floating market it is impossible to resist buying fresh fruits, but they must be washed thoroughly before eating.
It is also not advisable to get carried away with the various exotic drinks themselves, of which there are a large number here. Your body may not be able to do this. If you want to try local spirits, the best way to do this is by buying beer. It tastes quite pleasant and will not cause a violent reaction in your body. It is not advisable to stroke or caress local cats and dogs. There are a lot of fleas.
There is a myth that Thailand is a very cheap country. Everything is relative. For example, a taxi from Bangkok to Kachanaburi will cost around $100. It will be cheaper by bus and train. Car rental from $30 per day, moped – from $5. Gasoline - about $1 per liter. The price of a hotel room ranges from $20 to $200. You can have lunch in a cafe for $3-5. You can't go to a floating market without a boat. That's another $3/hour.
The cost of products and souvenirs at different market sellers may vary significantly. Very popular among tourists are souvenirs made by Thai hands, as well as gold and silver items with semi-precious and precious stones. In museums, some people use a guidebook with a detailed description of the attractions, while others are more comfortable with a guide (such services start from $30).
A taxi from Kachanaburi to Tiger Temple costs about $20. Entrance fee – 15. If you take an excursion there to Kachanaburi, local travel agencies will ask for $100 or more. Bus to Yerevan National Park - $2, taxi - $30, entrance - $6.5. Walking in the jungle on elephants – $13.5 per person.
Sightseeing tours from agencies in Kanchanaburi are quite expensive and include 4-5 excursions per day. To enjoy and remember well, you need at least 3 days. The Bridge over the River Kwai should be seen separately from the Tiger Temple or the exotic Yerevan Waterfall.
If possible, it is better to take a tour for several days or explore the area yourself. You can get to almost any point by local buses. There are no problems with accommodation and food in Kachanaburi. There are many hotels with different levels of amenities and prices, many cafes, bars, and restaurants.
The sights of the city and surrounding area are very interesting and educational. The most popular among tourists is the “Road of Death” excursion, in which the history and richness of nature, culture and pain of Europe and Asia are intertwined together.
Tourists from all over the world come to Thailand these days. But not everyone is attracted here by the world-famous resorts. Relatives of thousands of soldiers who died in Thailand during World War II want to see a forgotten jungle prison.
With the hands of prisoners of war, the Japanese built a railway crossing here. The Bridge over the River Kwai was made famous throughout the world by the film of the same name directed by Lin David. About the “road of death” report NTV special correspondent Airat Shavaliev.
Once every half hour, the hot sun seats are occupied by tourists, and the old locomotive begins to move. The driver can drive his train and with his eyes closed, he crosses this river for 30 years. All around is a familiar tropical paradise, with pleasure boats sailing below and elephants grazing. But the tourists of the old train are reserved and sad. They come here not to rejoice, but to mourn.
Somkiart Chamnankul, train driver: “My mother told me that on this bank there was a camp for prisoners of war, who were building a bridge under the guard of the Japanese. So many people died here.”
The original bridge supports have been preserved. The British, Australians, Americans and Dutch, even in captivity, built conscientiously. Prisoners of war began to be transported to the west of Thailand in 1942, when the Japanese needed a railway from Bangkok to Burma.
The whole world learned about the construction after the war thanks to the film “The Bridge on the River Kwai”. The march of prisoners of war from this picture is still required to be performed at parades.
Even the war memorial in Thailand consists of frivolous bungalows. One thatched building is authentic camp guard tower. The museum curator is more suitable for the role of an exhibit; she saw with her own eyes how the railroad of death was built. Shows a photograph of the doctor who saved her life, then a ten-year-old girl.
Exhaustive labor, heat and tropical diseases killed people at the construction site every day. They didn’t even have time to bury them. 16 thousand prisoners of war and 100 thousand local workers died.
The museum does not remain without visitors. A lot of Europeans, Australians and Americans come. There are both Japanese and Germans here.
What would local residents earn if not for the legacy of war? The River Kwai is the only tourist attraction in this part of Thailand. There is a museum on one bank of the river, and a military cemetery on the other.
Dozens of Thais are caring for the graves, trying to stop the riot of local nature. The cemetery is a corner of Europe in the middle of tropical forests. Modest tombstones recede into the distance; prisoners of war were reburied after the war.
The Book of Memory contains dozens of reviews. The British and Australians thank you for your attention to the graves. Actually, grieving over death is not in the Buddhist tradition, but Thais respect the grief of others. Besides, 15 dollars for the crossing is not extra money.
Thailand- the country of “Smiles”, which is associated mainly with snow-white beaches, an abundance of fruits and peaceful tranquility. Tourists who come to this paradise often have no idea about the sad chapters of Siamese history.
One of the leading tourist destinations in Thailand is a trip to the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi. People from all over the world come here for unforgettable experiences like elephant riding, river rafting, swimming in waterfalls and interacting with wildlife. But the British, Australians, Americans and Dutch come here not for entertainment, but to bow and pay tribute to the memory of thousands of fallen fellow citizens.
In the city of Kanchanaburi there is a cemetery where 6,982 prisoners of war who took part in the construction of the legendary “Road of Death” are buried. The creation of which began during the Second World War under the leadership of the Japanese Empire, which captured Burma (controlled by Great Britain) in 1942. Japan, allied with Thailand, made an unprecedented decision to build a railway line that was supposed to connect Bangkok (Thailand) and Rangoon (Burma, now Myanmar) to supply its large army. An attempt to create such a structure was already considered by the British government, but due to the complexity of the terrain (the road had to pass through the jungle and cross a large number of rivers and hills) and technical execution, it was rejected. The Japanese were forced to begin construction of the railway, since the sea routes through the Andaman Sea were unreliable and were constantly subject to enemy military attacks.
Construction of the railway, which began in June 1942, was completed on October 17, 1943. Contrary to the British government's expectations of a five-year period, the road was completed just 17 months after the first sleepers were laid. The length of the railway track was 415 km, of which about 13 km were bridges. During the construction period, more than one hundred thousand convicts and prisoners of war died (including: 6318 British, 2815 Australians, 2490 Dutch, 356 Americans). The construction of the railway connecting Thailand and Burma was recognized as a war crime and went down in history as one of the most tragic stages of the Burma Company. The apogee of construction is recognized as the construction of bridge No. 277 over the River Kwai, described by Pierre Boulle in the novel “The Bridge on the River Kwai” and which received wide publicity around the world in 1957 after the release of the film of the same name.
During the war years, the road was subjected to massive bombing and was completely destroyed. According to the results of the war, Japan was assigned to restore the road. The reconstruction was finally completed in 1958. Currently, about 130 km of the legendary route are recognized as operating, five of which, including Bridge No. 277 over the River Kwai, serve historical and tourist purposes. Every year at the end of November, Thailand hosts a week-long festival dedicated to the “Bridge on the River Kwai”, during which all kinds of exhibitions and music shows are held. The culmination, according to tradition, is a grandiose reconstruction of the bombing of the bridge.
There are several ways to get to the Death Road. The easiest way to get from Pattaya is to buy a ready-made tour to the River Kwai, which includes a visit to Bridge No. 277. But, the disadvantages of such a trip are limited time. You can also get to your destination from Bangkok by car, taxi (about 3,000 baht from Bangkok) or bus (about 100 baht). Buses to Kanchanaburi depart from Bangkok's South and North terminals every 15 minutes. Another option is the train. You can buy a ticket (approximately 100 baht) at Thonburi Train Station in Bangkok. Minus - 3rd class carriage, lack of air conditioning and wooden seats. Plus - incredible views of the nature of Thailand.
