KANCHANABURI.

This article is about the town Kanchanaburi. For other uses, see Kanchanaburi (disambiguation).

Kanchanaburi
The Bridge over the River Kwai
Kanchanaburi Location in Thailand
Coordinates: 14°1′10″N 99°31′52″E
Country	Thailand
Province	Kanchanaburi Province
District	Amphoe Mueang Kanchanaburi
Population (2006)
- Total	31,327

Kanchanaburi (Thai: กาญจนบุรี (Pronunciation)) is a town (thesaban mueang) in the west of Thailand and the capital of Kanchanaburi province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. The town covers the complete tambon Ban Nuea and Ban Tai and parts of Pak Phraek and Tha Makham, all of Mueang Kanchanaburi district, and parts of the tambon Tha Lo of Tha Muang district.

Contents [hide] 1 Location 2 Buddhism 3 Death railway 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Location

Kanchanaburi, which is located where the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai rivers converge into the Mae Klong river, spans the northern banks of the river and is a popular spot for travelers, its location at the edge of a mountain range keeping it much cooler than the other provinces of central Thailand. The city has two major commercial districts: the downtown area consists of a grid of several streets with office buildings, shop fronts, and a shopping mall; and the riverfront area businesses are mostly located further west along River Kwai Road. Once a year a carnival comes to town and is set up in the area next to the bridge. At night there is a small pyrotechnics display that re-enacts the wartime bombing of the bridge.

[edit] Buddhism

Kanchanaburi is the birthplace of the Buddhist monk Phrabhavanaviriyakhun. It is 5 km SE of the Buddhist temple Wat Tham Phu Wa which features a series of grotto shrines within a large limestone cave system. Each grotto features a statue of The Buddha at a different stage of his life. It is the easiest access point to the nearby Tiger Temple and is also home to a Vipassana meditation center.

[edit] Death railway

In 1942 Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control. It was here that Allied POWs, building the infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge; an event immortalised in the film Bridge on the River Kwai. More than half of the prisoners working on the project died from disease, maltreatment and accidents.
At Kanchanaburi, there is a memorial and two museums to commemorate the dead. In March 2003, the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum opened and the JEATH War Museum dedicated to the bridge and the Death Railway. The city is also home to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
Near Kanchanaburi, about 3 km from Wat Tham Phu Wa is the Chong Kai allies cemetery