who built a fort there ( a Khmer temple from the time has been restored as a tourist attraction). The kingdom of Ayutthaya also built a military garrison in the area, though it was through the pass that the Burmese frequently swept into Siam and eventually razed the capital of Ayutthaya. In World War II, the Japanese built a railway through the pass using forced labor, including western POWs. Later known as the Death Railway, the line included an infamous bridge crossing the Kwai River that was the subject of a historically inaccurate academy award winning film. The Three Pagodas Pass area is also home to numerous hill tribes and other minority groups who reside in the area as nation-less refugees without citizenship in either land. For visitors, it is possible to get temporary one-day visas to cross the border for a sneak peak at Myanmar and do some shopping for exotic souvenirs. The city of Kanchanaburi is located at the point where the Khwae Noi and Khwae Yai Rivers meet and form the Maenam Mae Klong. The notorious Death Railway passed through the town, near which stands the site of the Bridge on the River Kwai. Nearby the reconstructed bridge are monuments including an Allied War Cemetery and a war museum. In economic terms