2 Best Sights in Kanchanaburi, Around Bangkok

The letters in the first part of this museum's name are an acronym for Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand, and Holland. The site sits a little more than 2 km (1 mile) downriver from the Bridge on the River Kwai. Founded in 1977 by a monk from the adjoining Wat Chaichumpol, the museum is housed in a replica of the bamboo huts that were used to hold prisoners of war. On display are railway spikes, aerial photographs, newspaper clippings, and original sketches by ex-prisoners depicting their living conditions.

A walk through the center's nine chronologically arranged galleries provides a good overview of the railway's history. Though small, the center is well designed and packed with informative displays. The second-floor coffee shop at the end of the exhibits has a view of the adjacent Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.