KANCHANABURI PROVINCE
KANCHANABURI IS IN THE WEST OF THAILAND, 129 KM FROM BANGKOK, IT IS THE COUNTRY'S THIRD LARGEST PROVINCE AND THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN PART OF THE PROVINCE BOARDERS WITH MYANMAR. TOPOGRAPHICALLY, IT IS COVERED WITH TIMBER, BAMBOO AND EVERGREEN FOREST. THE DISCTRICT COVERS THE SOURSE VALLEYS OF THE RIVERS KWAE YAI AND KWAE NOI ("RIVER KWAI"), WHICH MERGE AT KANCHANABURI CITY TO FORM THE MAE KLONG RIVER. THERE ARE SEVEN NATIONAL PARKS IN THE MOUTAINOUS AREAS OF THE TENASSERIM HILLS, ALONG WITH TWO WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES. KANCHANABURI HAS A TROPICAL SAVANNA CLIMATE, WINTERS ARE DRY AND VERY WARM. TEMPRATURES RISE UNTIL APRIL, WHICH IS VERY HOT WITH THE AVERAGE DAILY MAXIMUM AT 38.2 °C (100.8 °F). THE MONSOON SEASON RUNS FROM MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, WITH HEAVY RAIN AND TUNDERSTORMS WITH SOMEWHAT COOLER TEMPRATURES.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS FOUND IN KANCHANABURI DATE BACK TO THE 4TH CENTURY, WITH EVIDENCE OF TRADE WITH SURROUNDING REGIONS AT THAT TIME. VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE HISTORICAL KHMER INFLUENCE IN KANCHANABURI, BUT PRASAT MUANG SINGH, ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST WELL KNOWN KHMER SITES, PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF THEIR OCCUPATION.
IN 1942 KANCHANABURI WAS UNDER JAPANESE CONTROL. IT WAS HERE THAT ASIAN FORCED LABOURERS AND ALLIED POW'S, BUILDING THE INFAMOUS BURMA RAILWAY, CONSTRUCTED A BRIDGE, AN EVENT FICTIONALISED IN THE FILMS THE BRIDGE OVER RIVER KWAI (1957), RETURN FROM THE RIVER KWAI (1989) AND THE RAILWAY MAN (2013). ALMOST HALF OF THE PRISONERS WORKING ON THE PROJECT DIED FROM DISEASE, MALTREATMENT OR ACCIDENTS.
