World War II Memorial Museum

World War II Memorial Museum Review

In the village of Khun Yuam, 100 km (62 mi) north of Mae Sariang, you can find one of the region's most unusual and, for many, most poignant museums, the World War II Memorial Museum. The modest little building commemorates the hundreds of Japanese soldiers who died here on their chaotic retreat from the Allied armies in Myanmar. Locals took in the dejected and defeated men. A local historian later gathered the belongings they left behind: rifles, uniforms, cooking utensils, personal photographs, and documents. They provide a fascinating glimpse into a little-known chapter of World War II. Outside is a graveyard of old military vehicles, including an Allied truck presumably commandeered by the Japanese on their retreat east.