The Bridge over the River Kwai at Kanchanaburi is one of the best-known railway sights in Thailand. It was built during the Second World War by Allied prisoners of war and forced Asian labourers as part of the Thailand to Burma railway, often called the Death Railway, and was made internationally famous by Pierre Boulle’s novel and the Oscar-winning film. Severely damaged during the war, the bridge was repaired in the 1950s and trains still cross it today; visitors can walk across it, float underneath it or cross by train.
If you’d like to read more information about the Death Railway itself, check out our guide here. This page is for people who want to time their visit to the bridge when a train is due to cross, and we’ve provided information on when each train is expected, how long to wait until the next one, and what to know before you go. The times are worked out from the timetable, so treat them as a guide.
If you’d rather ride across it, the trains between Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok use the bridge: see Kanchanaburi station page, the Southern Line timetable, or our guide to train 257.
Trains over the bridge
Times are approximate: see the notes below.
| Time | Train | Direction |
|---|
Watching a train cross
About six trains a day cross the bridge, and at weekends there are two more: the tourist train from Bangkok in the morning and its return in the afternoon. Tour groups from Bangkok arrive in minibuses, so the bridge is often busier in the morning when they are visiting. As you can see from the timetable, not many trains pass over the bridge each day, so don’t just turn up to the bridge and expect one to appear within a few minutes.
Use our guide and timetables to plan your visit and aim to be on or beside the bridge ten to fifteen minutes early, because it fills up as a train gets close and you will want your place before it arrives. A tourist information kiosk is located next to River Kwai Bridge station on the north side of the river if you need any assistance.
The trains cross slowly, and viewing platforms have been built along the bridge so that you can watch them pass safely. When a train is due, step onto one and wait there until it has fully passed before you move out.
Riding the train over the bridge
The bridge is on the line between Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok, so any train on that line crosses over. River Kwai Bridge station (Saphan Kwae Yai in Thai) is just before the bridge on the Kanchanaburi side, which is why most trains in the table stop there. Train 257 from Bangkok and the other ordinary trains on the line are slow, which gives you a good look at the river as you cross.
The best views are on the left-hand side going towards Nam Tok, and on the right-hand side going to Bangkok. Tourists often scramble for the best seats if they’re boarding at River Kwai Bridge / Saphan Kwae Yai station, so if you’re already on board, keep in your seat when the train arrives at the station.
Getting there
The bridge is a short tuk-tuk, songthaew or taxi ride from the centre of Kanchanaburi, and River Kwai Bridge station is a short walk from the Kanchanaburi end of the bridge. Most visitors reach the bridge from the town by road rather than by train. There are plenty of stalls near the bridge for a cold drink or a snack before you walk across.
FAQs
About six trains a day cross the bridge, from approximately 06:00 to 17:30, with two more at weekends. The table above shows each train. These are expected times from the timetable, so allow a few minutes either way.
Yes, visitors can walk across the bridge, including along the track when no train is due. It is a working railway, so use one of the viewing platforms as a train approaches and keep clear of the rails until it has passed. Check locally before you go, because arrangements can change.
Many visitors watch from one of the viewing platforms on the bridge itself, while others watch from the riverbank. Arrive early either way, because it gets busy before a train.
No. Trains cross slowly but do not stop on the bridge. Some stop at River Kwai Bridge station, which is just before it on the Kanchanaburi side, and the weekend tourist train waits there for a while first so tourists can take photos and visit the small market next to the bridge.
Walking on the bridge is free. If you ride a train over it, foreigners pay a flat THB100 for any journey between Bangkok and Nam Tok.
Aim to arrive about fifteen minutes before the train you want to see. An hour is usually enough for one train and a walk along the bridge.
Yes. The trains between Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok use the bridge. See the Kanchanaburi station page for the full timetable.
No. They come from the published timetable, not from live tracking. Trains can run early or late, so give yourself some time.
How these times are worked out
The bridge starts just past River Kwai Bridge station. A train that has just left the station is still on the way onto the bridge, so we add about 2 minutes to its departure time. A train about to arrive at the station has just come off the bridge, so we take about 2 minutes off its arrival time. A train that does not stop at the station is placed about 6 minutes from Kanchanaburi station, so those times are the least certain. Treat every time as a guess to within a few minutes at best.
Expected times are worked out from the timetable data collected 29th October 2026, not from live tracking. Times may vary.
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