11 Best Sights in Around Bangkok, Thailand

Kanchanaburi is most famous as the location of this bridge, a section of the Thailand-Burma Railway immortalized in director David Lean's epic 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai. During World War II, the Japanese, with whom Thailand sided, forced about 16,000 prisoners of war and from 50,000 to 100,000 civilian slave laborers from neighboring countries to construct the railway, a supply route through the jungles of Thailand and Burma. Sure-footed visitors can walk across the bridge, whose arched portions are original. In December a big fair takes place with a sound-and-light show depicting the Allied bombing of the structure late in the war. Next to the bridge is a plaza with restaurants and souvenir shops.

The Hellfire Pass Interpretive Center and Memorial Trail is a moving memorial to the Allied prisoners of war who built the River Kwai railway, tens of thousands of whom died in the process. Along with a film and exhibits, there's a 4½-km (3-mile) walk along a section of the railway, including through the notorious Hellfire Pass, one of the most grueling sections to build. The pass got its name from the fire lanterns that flickered on the mountain walls as the men worked through the night. Many people do the walk in the early morning, before the museum opens and before it gets too hot. Allow 2½ hours round-trip for the walk. Take plenty of water and snacks; there's a small shack near the museum that sells drinks, but not much food. The pass can be busy on weekends. Bus 8203 (2 hours) makes the trip to the museum. The last bus back to Kanchanaburi is at 5 pm coming the other direction from Sangkhlaburi. The drive by car takes about an hour.

The charming village of Amphawa, 10 km (7 miles) by songthaew from Samut Songkhram, has a floating market similar to, but smaller than, the one in Damnoen Saduak. It is also touristy but less in-your-face about it, with cafés and boutiques full of character, and so is often preferred. The market is open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 to 8 pm. The food market in the street adjacent to the canal starts at around 1 pm. Popular firefly tours allow you to enjoy both the market and the beautiful insect-lighted trees. The bugs are best seen from May to October and in the waning moon. The hourlong tours usually run every half hour from 6 to 9 pm. You can arrange a tour directly with Mae Klong Market Pier (B800 for a boat) or through your hotel. Unless you have private transportation, you'll have to spend the night in Amphawa, but there are some lovely options. The last bus back to Bangkok is in the early evening.

The serene and simple resting place of many of the soldiers forced to work on the Thailand-Burma Railway has neatly organized rows of grave markers. On the grounds of a former hospital for prisoners of war, the cemetery is a little out of the way and therefore rarely visited. To get here, hire a tuk-tuk or moto-taxi for about B60, or use Grab ride-sharing service.

Next to noisy Saengchuto Road, this cemetery has row upon row of neatly laid-out graves: 6,982 Australian, British, and Dutch prisoners of war are laid to rest here. The remains of the American POWs were returned to the United States during the Eisenhower administration. A remembrance ceremony is held every April 25th, Australia and New Zealand Army Corps Day.

Studded with stalactites, this cave overflows with images of the Buddha, among them a 10-meter-long reclining one. Some were put in place by kings Rama IV and Rama V. For a donation of B20 or so to pay for the electricity, a nun will light up the rear of the cave for you. It is about a kilometer's walk from the entrance, but a shuttle service is provided for B15. The cave is best appreciated on a clear morning, between 9 and 10, when the sun shines in and reflects off the bronze iconography.

Next to Phra Pathom Chedi is the Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum, which contains Dvaravati artifacts such as images of the Buddha, stone carvings, and stuccos from the 6th to the 11th century.

While still a prince, the future King Rama VI commissioned this palace, completed in 1911, with two separate residences that are architecturally notable for their French and British flourishes. Both residences were adapted to suit the tropical climate, with ventilation panels near the ceilings and spacious verandas. Railings around the upper floor of the older building are carved in elaborate traditional Thai patterns. Upstairs, you can view the restored and furnished bed chamber, bathroom, dressing room, conference room, dining room, and Buddhist prayer hall. 

The surrounding park, which includes ponds and broad lawns, is a lovely place to relax. English signs and translations provide information and guidance around the grounds. A Ganesh shrine is popular with Thai visitors.

In Sangkhlaburi, it's worth hiring a local longboat for a tour of the northern section of the lake created by Vajiralongkorn Dam. The best time to go is early morning or just before sunset, when local fishermen are active. Soon after leaving Sangkhlaburi, you'll pass by the magnificent Mon Bridge and the Mon temple in Wang Kha. If the water level is low enough, you'll be able to view the semi-submerged ruins of Wat Saam Prasob, the highest point of the village that was flooded when the dam was built. The temple bell tower is usually visible above the lake any time of year except during the height of the monsoon; if the water is low enough, you will also be able to see the former ordination hall, a beautiful cube-like structure with thick brick walls covered in carved stucco. Towards the end of the dry season in March and April, the lake recedes to a point that a small island appears around the ordination hall, where you can disembark and explore the ruins. Boats can be hired for around B300 an hour. One or two hours is usually enough to see everything worth seeing.

This 800-year-old Khmer-influenced structure on the western side of the Phetchaburi River is a royal monastery located in a charming district with narrow lanes and wooden shophouses. It comprises five large prangs (Khmer-style towers) that are visible from all over town. It is notable for its fine stucco work, which is characteristic of the Phetchaburi school of art seen in many of its temples.

When this temple's roof collapsed in 1767, one of Thailand's biggest and most revered bronze sitting Buddha image was revealed. It lay there with a broken head and right arm until repaired in 1930. A huge new wihan (a shrine hall) was built around it in 1951. Art historians have dated the image back to 1538.