Reason of the railroad
During WWII Thailand officially remained neutral until Japan invaded it in 1941. Soon Thailand and Japan signed a military alliance.
Japan invaded British Burma and needed a railroad to supply the fighting troops.
Contruction, closing and reopening
Between 241.000 and 310.000 people were subjected to forced labor. Almost half of them became casualties mostly killed by tropical deceases.
In 1947 the track was closed. A huge part was lost due to the construction of a hydro electric dam and her reservoir. The section between Nong Pia Duh and Nam Toc whas reopened ten years later.
Check out the other photos of Kanchanaburi: The city and Cooking workshop
Do you want to know more about Kanchanaburi? Read the article Delicious Thai cooking.
Leave a Reply