The Thailand-Burma "Death Railway"

Arguably the most ironic aspect of the construction of the (in)famous "Death Railway" is the fact it was originally a British idea, proposed at the turn of the century as a trading route between Burma and China.

Around 50 years later, British POW's were at the forefront of it's construction!

Built as an aid to moving supplies, after the capture of Thailand by the Imperial Japanese Army, thousands of allied POW's were transported from Singapore to begin working on the line, as well as the famous "Bridge On The River Kwai".

Beginning in 1942, the workforce was subject to constant battles against not only the brutality of their captors but also appalling living conditions and the constant threat of death and disease.

Sections of the old route are still in use today. Most notably the section from The Bridge up to Nam Tok station at Sai Yok National Park.

The most famous section further north towards Burma is "Hellfire Pass", pounded out through solid rock. Sadly, the pass has now mostly reclaimed by the jungle.

All along the route from Kanchanaburi are sections and memorials dedicated to the construction of the railway and the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of lives it cost!