Two ordinary third-class trains a day run from Bangkok's Thonburi station through Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok, over the River Kwai bridge and along the wooden viaduct at Wang Pho. You buy the ticket at the station on the day, foreign visitors pay a fixed tourist fare, and the best stretch is the two hours between Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok.
This line is what is left in Thailand of the Burma–Thailand Railway, which Japan forced Allied prisoners of war and Asian laborers to build during the Second World War. It is a working local train with wooden or plastic seats, open windows and food vendors walking the aisle, not a museum ride. That is part of why it moves people.
Our Kanchanaburi guide introduces the town, the bridge and the cemeteries. This page is about the train itself: times, tickets, seats, and what you are looking at from the window.
The Death Railway train in brief
- Route
- Thonburi (Bangkok) – Nakhon Pathom – Kanchanaburi – River Kwai Bridge – Wang Pho – Nam Tok
- Trains
- Two ordinary trains each way from Thonburi daily (Nos. 257 and 259 outbound), plus an early local train starting at Kanchanaburi
- Class
- Third class only: fans, open windows, unreserved seats
- Tickets
- At the station on the day; cannot be booked in advance; foreign visitors pay a fixed tourist fare
- Best stretch
- Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok, about 1.5 hours
- Sit
- On the left-hand side heading toward Nam Tok, for the river at Wang Pho
- SRT call center
- 1690, 24 hours
Why it is called the Death Railway
In the Second World War, Japan built a railway from Thailand into Burma to supply its army there. According to the Australian War Memorial, the line ran about 420 km through jungle and mountains and was built by about 60,000 Allied prisoners of war and some 200,000 rōmusha, conscripted Asian laborers from Burma, Malaya, the Dutch East Indies and elsewhere. They worked with hand tools, on poor rations, through the monsoon of 1943.
By the time the railway was finished in October 1943, the Memorial counts at least 2,815 Australians, more than 11,000 other Allied prisoners and perhaps 75,000 rōmusha dead. British, Dutch and American prisoners died too, and the Asian laborers, whose deaths were barely recorded, suffered most of all. Most of the line inside Burma and the upper part in Thailand was later abandoned. The section you ride today, from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok, is the part Thailand kept in service.
Knowing this changes the ride. The viaduct at Wang Pho, where people lean out with their phones, was built by the same men. It is fine to enjoy the scenery; it is worth also giving the place a moment of thought, and keeping that in mind at the cemeteries in town.
The timetable: two trains a day from Bangkok
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) website could not be reached when we checked, so the times below come from Thai Train Guide, the timetable site run by Bangkok-based rail writer Richard Barrow, last updated in December 2023. SRT changes times; confirm them at the station or on the 1690 hotline before you plan your day.
| Train | Thonburi | Kanchanaburi | River Kwai Bridge | Tham Krasae (Wang Pho viaduct) | Nam Tok |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 485 | – | 06:02 | 06:07 | no stop listed | 08:00 |
| 257 | 07:45 | 10:30 | 10:37 | 11:38 | 12:05 |
| 259 | 13:55 | 16:21 | 16:28 | 17:46 | 18:15 |
| Train | Nam Tok | Tham Krasae | River Kwai Bridge | Kanchanaburi | Thonburi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 260 | 05:20 | 05:49 | 06:59 | 07:05 | 09:35 |
| 258 | 13:00 | 13:28 | 14:34 | 14:43 | 17:40 |
| 486 | 15:30 | – | 17:21 | 17:28 (ends here) | – |
The plan that works for most people: stay in Kanchanaburi, board train 257 at Kanchanaburi or the River Kwai Bridge station around 10:30, ride to Nam Tok, and come back on the 13:00 train or by road. The full ride from Bangkok is long, about four hours to Nam Tok, and if you start in Bangkok the 07:45 departure is the only one that makes a day trip possible.
Tickets and the tourist fare
You cannot book this line online or through the D-Ticket system; tickets are sold at the station counter, usually about an hour before departure. They do not sell out, because unreserved third-class tickets have no seat limit, but seats can. Our guide on booking Thai trains online explains SRT's booking system for the trains where it does apply.
Foreign visitors pay a fixed tourist fare on this line, whatever the distance, while Thai passengers pay the ordinary local fare. Rail guides give the figure as 100 baht, but we could not confirm it with SRT, so take cash and check the price at the counter. At the small halts, such as Tham Krasae, there is no counter and you pay on board.
Board at Kanchanaburi station, not at the bridge, if you want a good seat. The River Kwai Bridge station a few minutes up the line is where many day-trippers board, and the left-hand window seats are often gone by then.
Which side to sit on
Sit on the left when you travel from Kanchanaburi toward Nam Tok, ideally facing forward. That is the side above the Khwae Noi River on the stretch at Wang Pho, where the train creeps along a wooden viaduct pinned to the cliff. On the way back, the right-hand side has the river.
Keep your arms and head inside on the viaduct. The track runs very close to the rock face, and on the cave side there is no room to spare. Third-class windows are open, so a hat and sunscreen help in the hot months, and rain can blow in during the wet season.
The Wang Pho viaduct and Tham Krasae
The viaduct, often called the Tham Krasae bridge after the cave beside it, is the reason most visitors take the train. It runs for a few hundred meters along the cliff above the river, and the train slows to walking pace to cross it. There are two halts at either end of the viaduct (the timetable shows Saphan Tham Krasae just before Wang Pho station).
You can get off at Tham Krasae, walk the viaduct and visit the cave shrine, but the train will not wait. You then need the next train or a road connection back, so check the times before you jump off. Walking on the viaduct when a train is due is not sensible; the train is slow, but the walkway is narrow.
Nam Tok, Sai Yok and Hellfire Pass
Nam Tok, the end of the line, is a small town. Many visitors used to walk or take a short ride from the station to Sai Yok Noi waterfall. Note that the Department of National Parks closed Sai Yok's main sites, including Sai Yok Noi and Sai Yok Yai waterfalls and Lawa Cave, on 27 September 2026 after heavy rain, "until conditions return to normal". Check before you plan a stop there.
Hellfire Pass lies farther up Highway 323 beyond Nam Tok, reached only by road. It is a deep rock cutting dug by prisoners with hammers, drills and explosives; Captain Reg Newton reported that 68 men were beaten to death while digging it, according to the Australian War Memorial. An interpretive center run by the Australian government explains the history, and a walking trail follows the old railbed through the cutting. We could not reach the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs site to confirm current opening hours, so check them locally. A train in the morning and a taxi or tour on to Hellfire Pass is the usual way to combine the two.
The last train back from Nam Tok leaves in the middle of the afternoon. If you go on to Hellfire Pass, arrange your road transport back to Kanchanaburi before you leave town, because taxis are hard to find at Nam Tok late in the day.
Practical tips for the ride
- Food: vendors board with drinks, fruit and snacks; you can also bring your own. Our tips on eating street food safely apply here.
- Heat: fans only, and the midday train is hot from March to May. See our guide to heat and sun in Thailand.
- Rain: in the rainy season the views are greener, but delays are more likely. Our page on the rainy season explains what to expect.
- Delays: single-track running means waiting at stations for trains coming the other way. Do not plan a tight connection.
- Respect: at the cemeteries, the bridge memorials and Hellfire Pass, dress modestly and keep your voice down. Our guide to cultural respect in Thailand covers the basics.
Getting back by road
If the timetable does not suit you, ride one way and return by road. Highway 323 links Nam Tok and Kanchanaburi, and local buses use it (ask in Nam Tok for the next one); Grab covers Kanchanaburi province, though cars may be scarce out at Nam Tok. From Kanchanaburi back to Bangkok, buses and minivans are faster than the train; our guides to long-distance buses and minivans explain both.
With a second day in the area, add Erawan National Park, which was also closed after the September 2026 floods, so check first. If you like old lines from Bangkok, the short train to Ayutthaya is the other easy rail day trip.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Death Railway train ticket?
Foreign visitors pay a fixed tourist fare on the Kanchanaburi line, whatever the distance. Rail guides put it at 100 baht, but SRT did not confirm the figure when we checked, so bring cash and check the price at the station counter.
Can I book the Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok train in advance?
No. These are unreserved third-class trains, and tickets are only sold at the station on the day, usually about an hour before departure. Tickets do not sell out, but window seats on the left side go early, so arrive in good time.
Which side of the train is best for the Wang Pho viaduct?
The left-hand side when you travel from Kanchanaburi toward Nam Tok, facing forward. That side looks down over the Khwae Noi River on the viaduct. On the return journey the river is on the right.
How long is the train from Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok?
About an hour and a half on train 257, which leaves Kanchanaburi around 10:30 and reaches Nam Tok around 12:05 on the timetable we found. Delays on the single track are common, so do not plan a tight connection at the other end.
Can I get from Nam Tok to Hellfire Pass?
Only by road; the railway no longer runs that far. Hire a taxi or join a tour from Kanchanaburi, and arrange your return before you set off, because transport at Nam Tok is limited in the afternoon.
Sources
- Australian War Memorial – Stolen Years: The Burma–Thailand Railway (checked October 2026)
- Thai Train Guide – Train schedule for the Death Railway (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – Sai Yok, Srinagarind Dam and Phu Toei close tourist sites (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – SRT booking channels and the 1690 call center (checked October 2026)