 THAILAND
In the
"smiling country", young women show the putting line
 - Kwai River and Kwai River Bridge
The notorious Kwai River Bridge lies nearby
Kanchanaburi in the Western region at 130 kms from Bangkok. It is worth a two or three
days stay not only for the Bridge but to explore the charms of this green province crossed
by the Kwai river and its caves and falls between sandstone mountains covered by forests
and fruit plantations. On weekends, city dwellers stream out from Bangkok to raft along
the river on huge bamboo rafts or trek in the jungle of the tropical forests. Or play golf
on a few very good courses.
- What to see
First to see, the Bridge which became famous after its
building through a worldwilde movie, its famous song and the awarded interpretation of Sir
David Niven.
Historically the bridge has been built during
the World War II by the Japanese Imperial Army to link their
Singapore base to the Indian front through Burma and Thailand
through a tropical jungle forest . They forced Chinese coolies
and Allied war prisoners to do that infernal work in inhuman
conditions ignoring the basic human rights and the Geneva
Convention rules. No less than 90.000 coolies and 16.000 prisoners
died under the whips, humiliations and privations imposed
by their Japanese fierce and wild galley-slaves.
But when the first trains crossed the bridge in October 1943,
the Japanese where already on the verge to be ousted from
South Asia and the bridge has been destroyed by aerial bombing
in December 1944. So that the old piles still lie nearby the
actual bridge which is the exact reconstruction of the original
one and two unexploded (but defused) bombs have been erected
on both side of the bride's entry where multiple vendors sell
souvenirs.
To see and understand exactly what could have been the real
life of those forced workers, it is necessary to see the JEATH
War Museum and take the train to the Death Railway at a few
miles from the bridge. The train stops nearby a bamboo restaurant
Thamkrasae overlooking the famous railway curves along the
river ravine. Walking, carefully, along the railway over the
Wan Po viaduct or visiting the cave where the Thai have erected
a memorial Buddha, is an instant of great emotion.
Japanese golfers visiting Thailand should be obliged to come at Death Railway. For
some of them, it would maybe turn down their arrogance.
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The Kwai River bridge
Vendors and bombs at the entry
of the bridge
The famous death curve
Respect to the men who died along the Death raiway
The restaurant along the Death railway
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