By direct bus it takes 12 hours to travel Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi. The alternative to travelling by bus is to take a train to Bangkok and then another train to Kanchanaburi.
Bus Timetable from Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi
Click on the Chiang Mai – Kanchanaburi link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.
Chiang Mai - Kanchanaburi ฿ 990 12h | |
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Bus Stop in Chiang Mai
Bus services to Kanchanaburi depart from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000.
Bus Stop in Kanchanaburi
Bus services from Chiang Mai terminate at Kanchanaburi Bus Station, Ban Tai, Mueang Kanchanaburi District, Kanchanaburi 71000.
Bridge over the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi
The railway bridge over the Khwae Yai River in Kanchanaburi Town, commonly referred as the ‘Bridge over the River Kwai’ in reference to the 1957 film of the same name, is one of the most visited attractions in Western Thailand. The bridge which is standing today was one of two bridges built by prisoners of war at the behest of the Japanese Imperial Army who were seeking to establish a rail link to Burma as part their strategy to invade the country. The other bridge, made largely of wood, was completely destroyed by an Allied bombing raid.

The bridge is actively in use today with two trains a day travelling over it in each direction. Pedestrians are allowed to walk over the bridge and on the off chance that a train is passing when you are on the bridge there are several platform where you can safely stand whilst the train passes by. The stretch of river where the bridge is located is a beauty point in its own right. The river meanders slowly past forest banks and a temple right by the bridge. In the distance the hills of modern day Myanmar are also clearly visible.