Kanchanaburi Sights and POI

What to see in Kanchanaburi
Say ‘Kanchanaburi’ and immediately two main things will come to mind. The first one is the spectacular Erawan waterfall and the second one is the infamous bridge over the River Khwae. Not surprisingly, we do recommend including them into your Kanchanaburi travel itinerary as both are worth seeing. That said, there is much more to see in Kanchanaburi – and no wonder at all as it is not only the largest of the western provinces; to our mind, it is one of the most diverse and spectacular one.

Bridge over the river Khwae

The bridge is by far the main attraction in Kanchanaburi and it is the reason why this city is known everywhere in Thailand and abroad. You might not be a history expert but more than likely you heard about the old epic movie ‘’The Bridge on the River Kwai’’.

The bridge itself is definitely nothing special and what nobody will tell you in Kanchanaburi is that it’s not even the original one. The real bridge that caused the death of so many people has been destroyed in 1945. The bridge can be crossed on foot and you can stop at one of the side safety areas to take a picture of the running trains. To get there from any guesthouse in the River Khwae area it’s a half an hour walking or you can get a motorbike taxi for THB50.

Wat Tham Suea

Even if it’s a bit out of town, Wat Tham Suea is definitely worth a visit. The ride itself is really pleasant especially if you rent a motorbike and you take some extra time to explore the area. To get there, take the main road back to Bangkok and turn right at the first traffic light after the big Tesco Lotus (5 km after the bus station). Keep driving following the signs for about 15 more km. The temple is set at the top of a hill and it’s clearly visible from distance.

157 steps will get you to the top where the big golden Buddha statue is. If you don’t feel like climbing the stairs a little tram will take you there for THB30. The temple is open to public from 8am till 5pm.

The giant rain tree

Driving 30 minutes away from town just to see a tree might not sound so appealing but believe us: it’s impressive! It’s not the height, which is only 20 meters, but the width: measuring 51 meters in diameter, the single tree covers a space of 2.500 square meters. You need at least 10 people to hug the big trunk! You can visit the tree from 6am to 6pm and the admission is free.

To get there follow the same road that goes to Wat Tham Suea so it could be a good idea if you rent a bike to visit the two places in the same day. Close to the rain tree there are some street food vendors and public toilets.

Prasat Mueang Singh

Prasat Mueang Singh is an archeological site where you can see the ruins of an old Khmer town. Built in the 13th century, there are four different main groups of ruins and an historical museum which is quite interesting. The whole area is quiet and relaxing, with plenty of vegetation surrounding the ruin. Everything is kept super clean and only few tourists visit the place. These Khmer ruins are considered third most important Khmer-related site in Thailand after impressive complexes of Phanom Rung in Buriram province and Phimai in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Prasat Muang Singh is in the Sayok district, 45 km away from Kanchanaburi. The admission fee is THB100 and it’s open every day from 8am till 4.30pm. The easier way to get there is to hire a songthaew in town for 800THB; a cheaper option and probably a better one if you have time is catching the train to Tha Kilen. The ride is one hour long and the ticket is THB10.

Fresh Market

This is for real food lovers and it will take a big effort to get there since you have to wake up really early or go to bed really late. The market usually opens around 3am and at 7am nothing is left. It is placed in the old town, on the opposite side of the bus station, and it’s a good chance to have a look at the old Thai architecture. The market is vibrant and packed with Thai people shopping at bargain prices everything they need for their shop, restaurant or guesthouse. There’s some street food if you need it, but the place is worth a visit even if you’re not hungry. It’s just so fun and interesting to watch a real busy fresh market.