Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

JEATH War Museum

Kanchanaburi

LoginSave

This small museum, opened in 1977, mostly focuses on the terrible ordeals of the POWs who built the Death Railway. Their harsh living conditions are shown in many original photos, letters and drawings from that time as well as personal effects and war relics, including an unexploded Allied bomb dropped to destroy the bridge. One of the three galleries is built from bamboo in the style of the shelters (called attap) the POWs lived in.

JEATH is an acronym of the warring countries involved in the railway: Japan, England, Australia/America, Thailand and Holland. This acronym is also used on signs outside the WWII Museum, which causes some confusion – the two museums are not connected.

Contact

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

  • The Death Railway, bridge over the River Kwai

    Death Railway Bridge

    2.47 MILES

    Constructed by POW labour, this 300m-long bridge is heavy with the history of the Thailand–Burma Railway. Its centre was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945…

  • Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

    Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

    1.16 MILES

    This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers…

  • Wat Ban Tham

    Wat Ban Tham

    4.5 MILES

    In the countryside around Kanchanaburi, cave temples are almost as common as convenience stores are inside the city, but this is one of the most…

  • Allied War Cemetery - the final resting place for World War II prisoners who died building the Thailand-Burma railway. Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

    Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

    1.08 MILES

    Immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this is the larger of Kanchanaburi's two war cemeteries, and is right in town. Of the…

  • Muang Sing Historical Park

    Muang Sing Historical Park

    19.24 MILES

    The ruins of 'Lion City', the westernmost-known Khmer outpost, are spread around a 102-hectare compound girded by 4.5km of walls. Serving most likely as…

  • Wat Tham Seua

    Wat Tham Seua

    6.63 MILES

    The centrepiece of this hilltop temple is a striking 18m-high Buddha covered in golden mosaic. One of the merit-making ceremonies for devotees is to place…

  • Tham Krasae

    Tham Krasae

    25.23 MILES

    Tham Krasae (Krasae Cave) was used by the Japanese while building this difficult stretch of the Death Railway. The wooden trestle bridge they ordered the…

  • Wat Tham Khao Pun

    Wat Tham Khao Pun

    2.11 MILES

    The nearest cave temple to Kanchanaburi town is a fun labyrinth of illuminated passageways. The marked trail is a bit of a squeeze in some places (and can…

View more attractions

Nearby Kanchanaburi attractions

1. Wat Chaichumphon

0.09 MILES

Next to the JEATH War Museum, this temple has some interesting statues and shrines, including one fashioned from a WWII-era boat dredged out of the river.

2. City Gate

0.27 MILES

This restored original city gate (built 1831) is a remnant of Kanchanaburi's once mighty defensive walls, which linked six fortresses. Just behind it is a…

3. Lak Meuang

0.28 MILES

Behind the City Gate stands this small, gold-trimmed shrine for Kanchanburi city's guardian spirit.

4. Heritage Walking Street

0.38 MILES

A stroll along this city centre street offers a glimpse of a bygone Kanchanaburi. Many buildings date to the 1920s and '30s and their Sino-Portuguese,…

5. Wat Thewa Sangkharam

0.75 MILES

This sizeable temple in Kanchanaburi is worth a wander to admire its grand, bell-shaped stupa near the river and various Thai-style shrines. In particular…

6. Chinese Cemetery

0.98 MILES

In contrast to the manicured uniformity of the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery next to it, this Chinese cemetery is somewhat overgrown but contains some large…

7. Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

1.08 MILES

Immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this is the larger of Kanchanaburi's two war cemeteries, and is right in town. Of the…

8. Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

1.16 MILES

This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers…