One of the country's newer provinces, Kanchanaburi first obtained status during the reign of King Rama I when the town became one of western Thailand's key locations for battles against Burmese invaders. Its location close to the border between the two countries made it an important defensive area where soldiers stationed themselves to keep the Burmese from reaching Bangkok and taking control of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. As Thailand's power and status in Southeast Asia grew, Kanchanaburi developed accordingly.
The town's greatest historical events are much more recent, dating back to WWII. During the conflict, the Japanese occupied strategic positions across the Malay peninsula and posted garrisons in Burma. In order to transfer supplies to between the two key points a railway was constructed, which became infamous 'Death Railway' between Thailand and Burma.
Construction on the Thai side began in Ban Pong in Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi's neighbouring province, with the line built as an offshoot of an existing track. The new line was to travel through Kanchanaburi to Burma (now Myanmar) by way of the Three Pagodas Pass.
Difficulties were encountered when construction got as far as the River Kwai, since there was no way around it, the only option was to build a bridge. Thus began the building of the famous 'Bridge Over the River Kwai' that has since been the subject of Hollywood movies.
The Japanese made use of both Asian labourers and POW, all of whom were forced to work in unbearable conditions leading to the death of some 25,000 persons. Typically, workers died from malnutrition, cholera, malaria, dysentery and exhaustion. The two ends of the bridge were finally joined on the 17th October 1943, some 15 to 16 months after the project began.
Kanchanaburi's greatest attractions to this day are the war cemeteries, museums and monuments connected to the bridge and those who died building it. The original bridge was destroyed by Allied bombing raids, and what stands today is a reconstruction, built following the end of WWII.