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BK08 |
( FULL - DAY RIVER KWAI & BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI IN KANCHANABURI )
( DAILY : MORNING ONLY AT 7.00 A.M. )
( TOURING - TIME : APPROXIMATELY 9 - 10 HOURS ) |
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TOUR ITINERARY :
- DEPART HOTEL BY PRIVATE AIR - CONDITIONED VAN WITH LICENSED ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE
FOR KANCHANABURI
- ARRIVE IN KANCHANABURI TO VISIT WORLD WAR II CEMETERY
- CONTINUE BY VAN TO VISIT JEATH WAR MUSEUM
- ENJOY A RELAXING 20 - MINUTE BOAT TRIP BY PRIVATE LONG - TAILED SPEED BOAT
ALONG THE RIVER TO THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI
- VISIT THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI ON FOOT
- CONTINUE BY TRAIN ( IN VIP SECTION ) FOR AN EXCITING RIDE ALONG THE FAMOUS
DEATH RAILWAY FOR 60 MINUTES
- GET OFF THE TRAIN AT THAM KRASAE STATION FOR DELICIOUS THAI - FOOD BUFFET
LUNCH IN A NICE AND CLEAN RESTAURANT BY THE RIVER
- RETURN BY VAN TO BANGKOK FOR THE HOTEL
TOUR PRICES :
1 PAX - 9,180 BAHT
2 PAX - 5,950 BAHT EACH
3 - 4 PAX - 4,950 BAHT EACH
5 - 6 PAX - 4,380 BAHT EACH
TRANSPORT :
* WIDE-BODY TOYOTA VAN (3000)( 9 - SEATED )
* MERCEDES BENZ VAN (MB140)( 9 - SEATED )
* LONG - TAILED SPEED BOAT
* TRAIN IN KANCHANABURI
PRICE INCLUDES :
- PRIVATE VAN WITH LICENSED ENGLISH - SPEAKING GUIDE
- ALL ADMISSION FEES
- PRIVATE BOAT - RIDE TO THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI FOR 20 MINUTES
- VIP TRAIN - RIDE ALONG THE DEATH RAILWAY
- THAI - FOOD BUFFET LUNCH IN KANCHANABURI
- 1 MILLION BAHT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR EACH GUEST DURING THE TOUR
( KANCHANABURI )
SET IN A LANDSCAPE OF LIMESTONE HILLS JUST 120KM FROM BANGKOK, THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL OF
KANCHANABURI OCCUPIES A SCENIC SPOT AT THE POINT WHERE THE RIVER KWAI NOI MERGES WITH
THE RIVER KWAI YAI TO BECOME THE MAE KHLONG. THE TOWN IS MOST FAMOUS FOR ITS
WORLD WAR II ROLE AS A POW CAMP AND BASE FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE THAILAND-
BURMA RAILWAY,CHIEFLY BECAUSE OF THE NOTORIOUS BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI,
WHICH SPANS THE RIVER HERE.
( WORLD WAR II CEMETERY )
KANCHANABURI WORLD WAR II CEMETERY
THIS CEMETERY IS LOCATED JUST 1 KILOMETER NORTH OF KANCHANABURI
CITY. IT CONTAINS THE REMAINS OF 6,982 WAR PRISONERS (MOSTLY THE
BRITISH, DUTCH, AUSTRALIAN AND AMERICAN) WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DURING
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI AND THE RAILWAY TO
BURMA (THE DEATH RAILWAY).
( JEATH WAR MUSEUM )
THE JEATH WAR MUSEUM STRUCTURE IS AN EXACT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION OF HUTS
THAT HOUSED THE POW'S.ACTUALLY BUILT ON THE ORIGINAL SITE OF THE FIRST WOODEN BRIDGE, A
SECTION OF WHICH REMAINS INSIDE THE MUSEUM.
JEATH STANDS FOR JAPAN, ENGLAND, AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, THAILAND AND HOLLAND, REPRESENTING
THE NATIONALITIES OF THE PRISONERS OF WAR (POW'S) WHO WERE FORCED TO WORK ON THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FAMOUS "BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI".
THE MUSEUM IS ON THE BANK OF THE RIVER, INSIDE WAT CHAI CHUMPHONTEMPLE. THE PRESENT CHIEF
ABBOT, THE VENERABLE PHRA THEPPANYASUTHEE, TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE UPKEEP OF THE
MUSEUM.
THIS TRIBUTE WAS ESTABLISHED TO SHOW ACTUAL ITEMS THAT WERE CONNECTED WITH THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE DEATH RAILWAY BY POW'S BETWEEN 1942-1943.
THE FIRST THING THAT STRIKES YOU WHEN YOU VISIT THE MUSEUM IS THE BAMBOO HUT WITH A
COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS DISPLAYED. THE HUT IS A REPLICA OF THE CONDITIONS THE POW'S
WERE FORCED TO LIVE IN.
THE MUSEUM DISPLAYS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF THE TERRIBLE CONDITIONS INFLICTED ON THE MANY
YOUNG MEN THAT DIED AND THE MANY THAT SURVIVED TO TELL THE STORY.
TO BRING THESE ATROCITIES TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, THE MUSEUM EXHIBITS MANY PHOTOGRAPHS
TAKEN OF REAL SITUATIONS EITHER BY THAI'S OR POW'S.
THERE ARE ALSO MANY REAL ACCOUNTS WRITTEN BY FORMER POW'S, THEIR RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND
AUTHORS THAT INTERVIEWED THE MANY PRISONERS THAT SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF THE IMPERIAL
JAPANESE ARMY.
( BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI)
THE FAMOUS BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI IS LOCATED IN KANCHANABURI
PROVINCE, NOT FAR FROM THE CITY CENTER. THIS BRIDGE WAS FIRST BUILT AS
A PART OF THE RAILWAY BETWEEN THAILAND AND BURMA IN 1942.
DURING THE WORLD WAR II, THE JAPANESE WANTED TO SEEK TO SHORTEN THE SUPPLY LINES BETWEEN
JAPAN AND BURMA IN PREPARATION FOR AN EVENTUAL ATTACT ON BRITISH INDIA. THE JAPANESE
STARTED WORK ON A RAILWAY FROM THAILAND TO BURMA THROUGH THE RIVER VALLEY FOR A
DISTANCE OF ABOUT 400 KILOMETERS OR 249 MILES. CONSTRUCTIONS WERE SPLIT INTO MANY
DIFFERENT AREAS AND CARRIED OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE JAPANESE ENFORCED ROUGHLY 250,000
ASIAN LABORERS AND 61,000 ALLIED PRISONERS-OF-WAR TO CONSTRUCT 260 KMS OF RAIL ON
THE THAI SIDE, APPROACHING THE THREE PAGODAS PASS ON THE BORDER. UNFORTUNATELY, IT
IS ESTIMATED THAT 100,000 ASIAN LABORORS AND 16,000 ALLIED PRISONERS LOST THEIR LIVES
DURING THAT PERIOD DUE TO MANY FACTORS, SUCH AS : STARVATION, EXHAUSTION, DISEASES,
AND ESPECIALLY MALARIA FEVER
THE ORIGINAL BRIDGE IS NO LONGER EXIST, AND THE PRESENT ONE IS FOR RAILWAY USE AND ALLOW
PEOPLE AND MOTORCYCLE TO CROSS. TODAY THERE ARE TRAINS RUNNING FROM KANCHANABURI TO
THE TERMINUS AT NAM TOK STATION FOR A DISTANCE OF 50 KILOMETERS (31 MILES). THIS JOURNEY
MAY BE ONE OF THE VERY EXCITING THING TO DO FOR TOURISTS
( DEATH RAILWAY)
THE HISTORIC RAILWAY TO BURMA (DEATH RAILWAY) BUILT DURING WORLD WAR II NOW
EXISTS ONLY A SECTION FROM THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI STATION TO NAM TOK STATION,
A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 50 KILOMETERS (31 MILES).
THE BREATH-TAKING JOURNEY ALONG THE EDGE OF MOUNTAINS AND THE RIVER BY DIESEL
LOCOMOTIVE AND PASSENGER CARSIS SOMETHING UNFORGETTABLE. IT TAKES ABOUT
ONE-AND-A- HALF HOURS ACROSS ONE OF THE SHAKIEST BRIDGES IN THE WORLD; OVER
THE WOODEN PILLARS AND SLEEPERS CREAK ANDGROAN AS THE TRAIN MOVES
SLOWLY ACROSS THEM.
REMARK : ALL PRICES INCLUDE 7% VAT
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