Nam Tok – Bridge over the Kwai – West Thailand

By Train to Nam Tok

I sit comfortably at breakfast in the lovely 'Sawatdee Guesthouse' and look forward to my next destination, Nam Tok, a small village in the west of Thailand. However, it’s not just about reaching this place, but much more about the journey there. I will first take the Death Railway towards Kanchanaburi, from where the route continues over the famous bridge over the Kwai, and further on over the Tham Krasaem Bridge. The latter I won't see today for given reasons, but I will hear it. The destination and terminus is then Nam Tok.
So I leave the Sawatdee Guesthouse and walk with my bags to the nearby Thewes Pier, from where I will take a boat for three stops. I will then get off and have a short 10-minute walk to tackle. I reach the old small Thonburi station and buy my ticket, which is a flat rate for tourists of 100 Baht, around 3 €. There is no choice here; travel is in the 3rd class, the so-called Ordinary Class. The climate is perfect for the journey due to open windows and doors and the fans on the ceiling turning endlessly for hours.
Another train departs before us, and right on time. Afterwards, I walk to the opposite market and quickly stock up on fresh melon, mango, and pineapple, plus an iced coffee.
I am back, and we are allowed to board; departure is in 20 minutes. Everything is ready, and meanwhile, another train is maneuvering next to us. At some point, I hear an announcement at the station, with some nonsense like: departure delayed and We apologize for the inconvenience (which is a phrase I use a lot at work); here I don't care for a moment; I am on vacation and focus on the ceiling fan.

This goes on for a good half hour, and nothing happens. Until suddenly, the group of four (probably Americans) stands up, grabs their bags, and is about to leave the train. I ask what’s going on? They mumble something about a tree on the track. Now I forget the rotation of the ceiling fan and am instantly wide awake! What? Oh no – it’s following me! I see other passengers outside and decide to check it out myself. And what I see cannot be real. There is indeed a large tree lying right on our track about 100 m in front of us. Immediately, I go through all the scenarios, unsure if the train will even run today. I see a group of men working on the tree with machetes, clearing it piece by piece. Until a clearing is made, and we start our journey 80 minutes late. I am relieved.

We are now gradually leaving the suburbs of Bangkok and are heading towards Kanchanaburi for the next good 2 hours. Most people get off there; only I and a few others remain seated. Shortly after, we cross the bridge over the Kwai. We continue straight ahead, and it gradually gets dark. Eventually, we reach the wooden bridge located directly over the Kwai River. I lean far out the window but unfortunately can’t see anything more, but I can already hear it. The tremendous creaking of the wooden beams as we move over at a crawling pace.

Around 8 PM, we reach the final station Nam Tok, a small village on the edge of the forest beneath hills and mountains. And so does the Yayee Homestay after a 5-minute walk. I rented a scooter here for the next few days and rode to Hellfire, which is 20 km away. Here, the Japanese had the ambition to drive the railway track through what was then jungle, with many human sacrifices pushing the railway through rocks by sheer human power towards Myanmar. Yet weakness, malaria, or cholera, among others, thwarted this endeavor. Once again, an unimaginable tale of human folly. The next day, I visited a little mini Angkor, the temple complex of Mueng Sing, and then saw the Tham Krasae Bridge up close.
On the third day, I decided to take the train back to Bangkok. This is the better option; otherwise, I would have to wake up at 4 AM the next morning to take the first train at 5:20, and I had no desire for that.

Incredible life, truly incredible situations, fascinating travel!

Khop Khun Khrap :-)