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Kanchanaburi War Cemetery & Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

Date: 10/10/2026 By Categories: Cruise the River Kwai No comments

Row upon row of bronze plaques, carefully tended lawns and flowering shrubs: the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, also known as Don Rak, is a place of deep calm. Right next door, the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre explains what happened to the men who rest here.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak)

The cemetery holds 6,982 graves of Allied prisoners of war who died building the railway – 5,085 from the Commonwealth, mainly British and Australian, and 1,896 from the Netherlands. American victims were repatriated after the war. Many of the dead were brought here from camps along the southern section of the railway. The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and conveys a moving sense of dignity and peace.

Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

The privately run museum was founded by Australian railway historian Rod Beattie, who has researched the route for many years. It explains the Japanese advance in Southeast Asia, the planning and construction of the railway, the living conditions in the camps and the fate of the prisoners and labourers – with models, original tools, photographs and personal stories. It is the best place to understand the full context of the Death Railway.

Good to know

  • Please dress respectfully and behave quietly in the cemetery.
  • Many visitors look for the graves of relatives; your guide is happy to help where possible.

On these cruises

You visit the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and the Railway Centre on the following RV River Kwai cruises:

Compare all River Kwai cruises

Also along the way

Bridge over the River Kwai · JEATH War Museum · Hellfire Pass · Wat Tham Khaopoon

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak) with rows of graves

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery & Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

Row upon row of bronze plaques, carefully tended lawns and flowering shrubs: the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, also known as Don Rak, is a place of deep calm. Right next door, the Thailand–Burma Railway Centre explains what happened to the men who rest here.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (Don Rak)

The cemetery holds 6,982 graves of Allied prisoners of war who died building the railway – 5,085 from the Commonwealth, mainly British and Australian, and 1,896 from the Netherlands. American victims were repatriated after the war. Many of the dead were brought here from camps along the southern section of the railway. The cemetery is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and conveys a moving sense of dignity and peace.

Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

The privately run museum was founded by Australian railway historian Rod Beattie, who has researched the route for many years. It explains the Japanese advance in Southeast Asia, the planning and construction of the railway, the living conditions in the camps and the fate of the prisoners and labourers – with models, original tools, photographs and personal stories. It is the best place to understand the full context of the Death Railway.

Good to know

  • Please dress respectfully and behave quietly in the cemetery.
  • Many visitors look for the graves of relatives; your guide is happy to help where possible.

On these cruises

You visit the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and the Railway Centre on the following RV River Kwai cruises:

Compare all River Kwai cruises

Also along the way

Bridge over the River Kwai · JEATH War Museum · Hellfire Pass · Wat Tham Khaopoon

Heritages Sites

Golf Courses along the Way

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