Bridge over River Kwai.

A riverside resort on the fabled River Kwai in Kanchanaburi is located in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by mountains, with a view of the well-known original death railway at Tham Krasair. Here you also find the famous bridge. It is about 4km north from downtown Kanchanaburi, crossing the Kwai Yai river.

It was brought from Java by the Japanese Army and assembled at the River Kwai by prisoners. Bombed several times in 1945, it was rebuilt after the war. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. An estimated 16,000 war prisoners and 49,000 forcibly recruited laborers died during the construction of the bridge and the Death Railway that leads to Burma.

Next to the bridge you'll find the JEATH War Museum. It is an open-air bamboo hut museum built as a copy of an original and established to collect various items connected with the construction of the Death Railway by prisoners of war during the Second World War, 1942-1943.

Close by you also find Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. This cemetery contains the remains of 6,982 war prisoners who lost their lives during captivity by the Japanese Army that forced them to build the Bridge over the River Kwai and the Death Railway.

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Wat Sunthon.

The windows and roof of Wat Sunthon are very beautiful. Both are made with great skill and contain many details. Especially the sides of the windows display a lot of really excellent handwork.

Showcase for Urn in Wat Sunthon.

This is a place for putting the urn after a family member has been cremated. There are various kinds of these showcases, and these are for wealthy people. Usually the urns are just placed inside the wall surrounding the temple, and a concrete plate is placed in front so you can't see the urn. Instead, there are inscriptions letting you know who is behind it, and very often also a photo.

Tuk Tuk Thailand.

To get around, lots of people hire Tuk Tuk taxis. It's an easy way to get around, especially during rush hours when big traffic jams are part of the journey. But of course, you don't get the same comfort as an air-conditioned taxi. Riding the Tuk Tuk, you are in the thick, warm, heavily polluted air, and lots of the drivers wear masks to avoid some of the pollution. The fare should be bargained before you get into the vehicle.

Wat Koa Noi in Khanchanaburi, Tha-moung district.

This temple site has many temples. There are mostly Thai temples, but you can also find a Chinese one. Lots of people come here, mostly to pray in one way or another. Here you can beat a big drum or a big gong opposite a large Golden Buddha. You can also climb one of the towers in the temples. In one of the towers, you can go outside onto the balcony.

Here there are many bells which you can ring. When people come to the temple, they have to respect it and do something good for their religion, such as giving money to the temples for repairs. After that, they will ring the bells to let the gods know that they were visiting the temple. Then the gods will know what they did and will bring good luck to the people who gave tribute.

Ricefarmers in Khanchanaburi drying their harvest.

When I visited Kanchanaburi, I stayed in Pang Tru at my friend's parents' house. Her parents were rice farmers, and on the second morning, I was invited to join one of their employees when he was going to deliver sacks of rice. At this time (mid-July), most of the rice was dry enough to be put in sacks and sold to a rice mill or some shops.

On the right side of the picture, you can see a machine used for harvesting, but many farmers still harvest by hand. I also saw this when we were driving around among the rice fields.

Wallpainting of Wat pra kaw walls in Grand Palace.

The Ramakian is adapted to the Thai world by King Rama I, written in 1807. At Wat Phra Kaeo, scenes comprising a complete series of illustrations from the Ramakian, inspired by the text of Rama I, cover the walls of the temple cloisters.

The original painting dates from the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851), but although some of the compositions are remarkable, the work as a whole has suffered from repeated and poorly executed attempts at restoration. The worst damage resulted from a complete repainting in 1929, when Bangkok was spruced up in preparation for its 150th anniversary.

A restaurant on poles in Muang Boran.

"The ancient city, Muang Boran, is a reflection of Thailand's multifaceted ancient culture presented in an authentic and visually exciting setting." These are the words on the brochure you get at the entrance to this fantastic park. I spent a whole day here with my friend and her sister, and there is plenty to see. There are 109 monuments (in summer 2001) from all over the country.

If you can't spend several months traveling in the country to see all the beautiful buildings, you definitely should go here to see the continuity of the history, arts, cultures, religions, thoughts, as well as the beliefs of Thai talents.

In the picture you see a restaurant in the floating market. We ate dinner here, and surprisingly, prices here are the same as downtown. There's no need to bring your own food unless you do not like traditional Thai food. I like it because it's tasty and spicy.

Going here is a good one-day trip from central Bangkok, so if you are staying there, my advice is that you spend a day here.

Talad Naam Floating market in Rachaburi Province.

In Ratchaburi you find this floating market. The floating markets were part of the traditional way of life of communities along the riverbanks of Siam. It's very special to experience this kind of market, but you have the same possibilities here as anywhere else.

If you feel hungry, just tell the driver of the boat to stop by one of the boats where food is prepared. Or you can just buy some of the fruit that lots of market salespeople offer you from their small boats. There are so many nice fruits for sale that it's hard to decide which to buy.

My favorite is mangosteens, whose flesh looks and tastes a little like grapes, but the skin is thick, red, and has soft spikes, with a large stone in the middle.

Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun.

The Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun is named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna. Today, Wat Arun has a long, elongated, Khmer-style prang (tower) and four minor towers symbolizing Mount Meru, the terrestrial representation of the thirty-three heavens.

It was restored during the brief Thonburi period to be the Royal Chapel of King Taksin. An important structure is a 79-meter high pagoda or "Phra Prang" decorated with ceramic tiles and fragments of multicolored porcelain. The prangs are covered with pieces of porcelain, which Chinese boats coming to Bangkok used as ballast.

The name of this temple literally means "Temple of the Dawn," but the most beautiful view of it can be seen from the east side of the river at sunset.