The Bridge on the River Kwai (Kanchanaburi Province)

The Bridge on the River Kwai is located in Tambon Tha Makham, about 4 kilometers north of the city on Highway 323. It is an important historical site. It was built during World War II by the Japanese army. They conscripted about 61,700 Allied prisoners of war, including British, American, Australian, Dutch, and New Zealand soldiers, as well as many Chinese, Vietnamese, Javanese, Malay, Thai, Burmese, and Indian laborers to build a strategic railway route to Burma. Part of the route had to cross the Kwai River, so a bridge had to be built. The construction of this bridge and railway was full of hardship. The cruelty of war, disease, and food shortages caused tens of thousands of prisoners of war to die. #Bridge on the River Kwai