Things to do in  Central Thailand

The Maeklong Railway Market is one of the more unusual markets in Thailand. Selling vegetables, fruit, and other food items, it looks like any other market on the streets of Thailand—until a passenger train goes roaring through the middle of it. When the siren calls, the stalls scatter and make way.

The Bridge on the River Kwai is part of the world’s collective historical memory. The site of many POW deaths during World War II, it is now home to the JEATH War Museum and is close to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. It’s part of the Burma Railway was built by Allied prisoners of war, and over 10,000 died of starvation, overwork, and terrible living conditions in the process.

Located in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province, Erawan National Park is one of the most famous natural areas in the country. Known for its impressive seven-tiered waterfall and abundance of native flora and fauna, the park is a popular weekend spot for locals from Bangkok and Kanchanaburi as well as for international visitors.

This ancient Buddhist temple situated to the southeast of Ayutthaya was first built in 1357 by King Uthong to house returning monks who had gone to study practical Buddhism in Sri Lanka. This towering chedi can be seen from far and wide and features a platform offering wonderful views of the temple site and city beyond.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Khao Yai National Park was Thailand’s first national park, located in the Panom Dongrak Mountains. It includes forests, grasslands, and a variety of animals and bird life. As it’s just a couple of hours from Bangkok, visiting the park is an easy way to experience Thailand’s natural side.

The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, also known as the Don Rak War Cemetery, commemorates victims of the building of the Thailand-Burma Railway during World War II. The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and contains the 6,982 graves of Australian, British, and Dutch POWs who were forced into labor by the Japanese.

Located on the grounds of a temple, this small museum showcases the plight of the Allied POWs who labored on the Thailand-Burma Railway (Death Railway). An acronym for the countries involved (Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland), the museum features three galleries, including a replica bamboo hut where prisoners lived.

Built by forced laborers under the control of the Japanese Army at the height of World War II, Thailand’s Burma Railway (Death Railway) is a 258 mile (415 kilometer) long railway line designed to connect Thailand and Myanmar. Although its existence serves as a grim landmark of recent history, the Burma Railway remains one of the country’s key historical attractions.

Thailand’s Tham Krasae Bridge is the longest railway bridge in Thailand. It’s a trestle bridge over the Khwae Noi River and part of the Death Railway, built during World War II by prisoners of war. The POWs had horrible working conditions, and more than 12,000 lost their lives. The railway stretched from Myanmar to Thailand to transport war supplies. Visiting this area will take you back in time to World War II.

The Hellfire Pass segment of the Burma-Thailand railway cuts through the Tenasserim Hills in western Thailand. It earned notoriety during the World War II construction of the railway by Allied POWS, who suffered high casualty rates due to the isolation, the amount of rock that needed to be removed, and the lack of proper equipment.

Located near Kanchanaburi, the Hellfire Pass Memorial and Museum pays tribute to the thousands of prisoners of war who lost their lives building the Thailand-Burma Railway (or Death Railway), during World War II. You can watch a movie and first-hand testimonies from former prisoners of war, and walk along the railway itself.

Lopburi is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, dating back to the Dvaravati period when it was known as Lavo. The influence of the Khmer Empire is particularly evident throughout the city, but it reached the peak of its commercial, cultural, and political importance in the 17th century, when King Narai made it his second capital.

Nearly 200 different ruins are strewn across the 27-square-mile (70-square-kilometer) Sukhothai Historical Park (Historic Town of Sukhothai), including towering Buddhas, ornate palaces, and crumbling temples. The UNESCO World Heritage Site—one of Thailand’s most impressive—hints at what the country’s first capital might have looked like in its golden age.

Sprawling over 370 square miles (958 square kilometers of forest right up to the Myanmar border, Sai Yok National Park offers elephants, raft resorts, magical caves, weird and wonderful wildlife, and more. Most travelers visit for small but beautiful Sai Yok Yai waterfall or Sai Yok Noi falls, near Nam Tok, the end of the Death Railway.

Ko Kret is an artificially constructed island about 10 miles (17 kilometers) north of central Bangkok that’s totally encircled by the Chao Phraya River. It’s a popular weekend day trip for Bangkok residents, who come mainly for the food, but there are also other sights and attractions to check out any day of the week.