Wat Song Phi Nong (วัดสองพี่น้อง) Legend has it that Chao Sam, one of the three siblings, incited the other two siblings named Chao Ai and Chao Yi against each other for the throne. Both Chao Ai and Chao Yi died and Chao Sam became the ruler. Chao Sam then built one prang and one chedi for his late brothers.
Wat Phra Kaeo (วัดพระแก้ว) An ancient temple housing a beautiful square-based stupa. In front of the stupa stands a Buddha image hall known as Wihan Luangpho Chai, where a delicately carved sandstone lintel was found at the back of the image.
Monkey Park (สวนลิง) The temple houses rubber plantations and is home to a number of monkeys.
Wat Klai Kangwon (วัดไกลกังวล) or Khao Saraphat Si Charoen Tham (เขาสารพัดศรีเจริญธรรม) On top of the hill sees ruins of an ordination hall and the Buddha's footprints, as well as, a panoramic view of the area.
Dakkhanon Mattress (ที่นอนดักคะนน) Stuffed with kapok, these are made by the locals of Ban Dakkhanon, Tambon Thammamun.
Benjarong Pentachrome Ceramics (เครื่องเบญจรงค์) These five-coloured ceramics are made in the finest and most sophisticated craftsmanship.
Manorom's Pomelo (ส้มโอมโนรมย์) The most famous is the Khao Taengkwa variety with its sweet-crispy taste, large size, and is available throughout. The annual fair is held in August.
Water Hyacinth Woven Product (ผลิตภัณฑ์ผักตบชวา) By making good use of this local plant, water hyacinths are made into a variety of affordable and delicate handicraft products and household decorations such as bags, baskets, slippers, flower pots, trays in the shape of a chicken, and vases
Herbal Shampoo Products (ผลิตภัณฑ์แชมพูสมุนไพร) Made from kaffir limes, aloe, butterfly pea, turmeric, and soapberry, these renowned good quality herbal shampoo, conditioner, and bath gel, are products of the Tha Sai.
Pottery (เครื่องปั้นดินเผา) These stylishly designed pottery products such as flower pots, mugs, plates, watering utensils, and household decorations.
Huai Krot Sugar This palm sugar in soft cakes is derived from sugar palm trees
Artificial Flowers and Trees These are made from various materials such as plastic or sa paper.
Hand-woven Textiles Utilizing their spare time from cultivation, local housewives produce the uniquely traditional hand-woven textile such as the tube skirt or pha sin with the decorative piece woven in discontinuous supplementary weft technique known as tin chok, which is the influence of Laotian ancestors, who previously migrated to Chainat.
Straw Bird Fair, Chai Nat's Product Fair, and Red Cross Fair (งานมหกรรมหุ่นฟางนกนานาชาติ งานของดี และงานกาชาดจังหวัดชัยนาท) This annual fair is organized by making good use of straw, a by-product in rice farming.
Chai Nat Pomelo Fair (งานส้มโอชัยนาท) Chai Nat is one of several provinces famous for producing exceptional pomelo.
Kanchanaburi Province
Kanchanaburi ( (Pronunciation)) is the largest of the western provinces ("changwat") of Thailand.
Tourists are attracted by the history of its ancient civilisation and the World War II Bridge over the River Khai (also spelt "Khwae").
The province is in the west of Thailand, 129 km from Bangkok, and covers a total area of approximately 19,483 km². It is the country's third largest province, after Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. Topographically, it is covered with timber and evergreen forests. The land has the famous River Kwai.
Several national parks are in the mountainous forest areas. They include the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, which is on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Archaeological remains found in Kanchanaburi date back to the 4th century. Evidence of trade exists, saying the people traded with surrounding regions at that time. Very little is known about the historical Khmer influence in Kanchanaburi.
Very little of the region is known before the reign of King Rama I. In 1982, many skeletons and swords were found in Phanom Thuan District. This makes people think this site was the place of the famous battle of King Naresuan against the Burmese crown-prince.
Most foreigners are mainly aware of Kanchanaburi's recent history. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in 1942, Allied Prisoners-of-War and Asian labourers were ordered by the Japanese to build a Thailand-Burma railway. Eventually, more than 100,000 people (16,000 allied POWs and 90,000 local Asian labourers) died from horrific working conditions.
River: Locals seldom use the river as a means of transportation these days, but instead for tourist-related boat rides and karaoke dinners.
Roads: Kanchanaburi's districts are connected by three highways which also link to neighbouring provinces.
Airport: There is no public airport in Kanchanaburi.
Rail: Kanchanburi is on the line from Bangkok Noi to Nam Tok (Sai Yok). The section from Kanchanaburi westward is what remains of the railway built by forced labour. The line from Nam Tok to Sanklaburi (next to the Burmese border) was pulled up by the British after the war. There is a short section of track along with a nearby museum at Hell Fire Pass, a few kilometres west of Nam Tok.
Bus: Air-conditioned buses serve Bangkok, while travel to provincial districts and surrounding provinces is done by non- air-conditioned buses.
Only 129 km from Bangkok, Kanchanburi is a favourite holiday destination for Bangkokians and other Thais residing in the central region.
For most non-Thai, Kanchanaburi historical significance stems from the movie The Bridge Over the River Kwai, which was built by forced labour during the Second World War.
The Bridge Over the River Kwai was built next to the town of Kanchanaburi. The Death Railway ran all the way from the Kwae River valley up to Three Pagodas Pass. Today, only the lowest part of the railway to Nam Tok is still in use. Kanchanaburi city has a war museum and a large POW cemetery.
In the Sai Yok district, there is a Buddhist tiger temple where tame tigers roam freely once a day. Also in Sai Yok is the Mueang Sing Historical Park, ruins of a Khmer town and temple, as well as the Sai Yok National Park with the two Sai Yok waterfalls.
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak) (สุสานทหารสัมพันธมิตรดอนรัก) The immaculately maintained cemetery contains the remains of 6,982 Allied POWs who perished during the construction of the "Death Railway".
Death Railway (ทางรถไฟสายมรณะ), the strategic railway tracks began from Nong Pla Duk Station in Amphoe Ban Pong, Ratchaburi, and ran via Kanchanaburi across the Khwae Yai River, westbound to the Three Pagodas Pass, to end at Thanbuyuzayat in Burma. Total length within Thai territory was 300 km. The railway took only one year to complete, from October 1942–October 1943. After the war, some lengths of track were demolished and some submerged under the lake of Khao Laem Dam.
Sai Yok National Park (อุทยานแห่งชาติไทรโยค), a park since 1980, most of the area is limestone mountains with mixed deciduous forest.
Star gazing
Kirdkao Observatory (หอดูดาวเกิดแก้ว) in Tambon Lum Rang, is a place to gain knowledge about stars and nature.
Forest trekking
Sangkhla Buri Jungle Trek This service is offered to tourists by hotels in Amphoe Sangkhla Buri. The programme starts with rowing boats along Huai Song Ka Lia, riding elephants and rafting.
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is very common in the province.
Rafting, Canoeing, White Water Rafting are also very common along various routes such as Noi River, Kwae River, Song Ka Lia River.
Elephant trekking Kanchanaburi has many elephant camps providing elephant trekking.
Ban Nong Khao is one district in Kanchanaburi, about 12 km. away from the province. Villagers here still live simply in an agricultural society and old-style houses practising culture and traditions which has been transmitted from generation to generation.
Homestay at Ban Khao Lek