Bangkok & Bridge over the River Kwai

Staying at the Shangri La on the first visit, we got an upgrade to a 'bath with a view' over the Chao Phraya River!

Leaving early to avoid the traffic, we headed for Kanchanaburi, near to the location of the bridges over the River Kwai, passing through areas that had recently been badly affected by the floods.  After touring a museum, set up like a hut in which the prisoners of war used to live in, we got some appreciation of the terrible conditions and treatment they suffered.  Called the JEATH Museum, after the nationalities of the prisoners - Japanese, English, Australian, America, Thai and Holland, it was pretty basic and got the point across.  We also learned of the disruptive actions by the prisoners in choosing unseasoned timber for the railway construction, causing it to fail from time to time. 

 Then, there followed a quick trip on the river in a long tailed boat before we arrived at the bridge.  This was the metal one that was built after the wooden one, now no longer present.  Both were disabled by allied bombing but only the steel one was rebuilt (not blown up by Alec Guinness, as in the film).  A train took us from there, across the bridge, to Wang Pho where we enjoyed a Thai lunch before returning by road to the bridge.  The train was early for the first time in history, it was said, so we had to take our walk across the bridge afterwards.  This had some benefits as it was less crowded with others.