Kanchanaburi (Thai กาญจนบุรี) is a western city of Thailand comprising 52 000. It is located at the confluence of the Kwai Noi River Kwai Yai with the river, which was built in 1942 the famous Bridge on the River Kwai by prisoners of war under the command of Japanese troops.
A memorial and two museums are visible in Kanchanaburi: the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum (opened in March 2003) and the JEATH War Museum, about the bridge itself. The railway of death (Death Railway), used by the railways in Thailand, and an ally cemetery of WWII Also Kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi is the town closest to the Temple of the Tigers, which lies about 38 km northwest, and is also close to the Erawan National Park and its beautiful waterfalls.
Every year in the fall, a multi-day festival is held to commemorate the construction and destruction of the first bridge. Entry into the enclosure is about 20 to 30 baht depending on the day. A sound and light show featuring the story takes place every evening of the festival, for about 100 baht per person. There is also a rave parties and concerts. But this is the opportunity for many merchants in the area to inflate their revenue by exposing their wares to the huge crowd of the festival: fried insects and all kinds, popcorn, hot dogs and clothing are the main goods sold, it is not very varied and sold more expensive than what you can find outside the festival. Each year the festival is a real ecological disaster because once the festival ended, there are thousands of plastic bags, carried by the wind, are found on roadsides, in fields and into rivers, polluting several dozens of kilometers around without anyone cleans. Not to mention the pollution caused by debris dummy explosions bridge swept away by the river each night of the festival.
Kanchanaburi nevertheless remains a popular stop for tourists visiting Thailand.
Kanchanaburi has a generally cooler than the center of Thailand because of its location. Indeed Kanchanaburi is located in the River Kwai Valley and bordered by mountain ranges. The average temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius, winter being felt especially 1 to January 15 while remaining enjoyable.
