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West of Bangkok is an extensive rural area in Central Thailand. It is popular for its floating markets, rural way of life, natural scenery and the infamous Burma Death Railway.

Cities[edit]

Map
Map of West of Bangkok

  • 1 Kanchanaburi — the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, World War II museums, national parks and waterfalls
  • 2 Ratchaburi — off the tourist trail, boasts some museums and natural scenery
  • 3 Samut Songkhram — also known as Mae Klong and boasts the Mae Klong Market
  • 4 Sangkhlaburi — last town before Three Pagodas Pass

Other destinations[edit]

  • 1 Amphawa — very popular floating market among the locals
  • 2 Damnoen Saduak — floating market on steroids, picture perfect but feels increasingly set-up for tourists
  • 3 Erawan National Park Erawan National Park on Wikipedia — the beautiful seven-tiered Erawan Falls
  • 4 Three Pagodas Pass — the famous pass between Thailand and Myanmar
  • 5 Mae Klong Railway Market — A market on railway line

Understand[edit]

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See[edit]

Every morning the tourist coaches from Bangkok make a beeline for the floating markets. Damnoen Saduak is widely visited by foreigners, while Amphawa is a weekend attraction flooded by Thais. Kanchanaburi is another highlight, particularly for the Bridge over the River Kwai and the associated World War II museums. Nakhon Pathom is known for the Phra Pathom Chedi, the world's tallest stupa. Some of the bookable tours from Bangkok manage to include all these attractions in a single day itinerary.

This is a sparsely populated region with endless fields of rice paddies, shrimp farms and fruit orchards. A scenic way to see the countryside is by taking the Mae Khlong Railway, a slow and rustic train from Bangkok to Samut Songkhram that rides at a snail's pace. A boat transfer at the fishing village of Samut Sakhon is included. Going further west, the terrain becomes mountainous. Kanchanaburi functions as a hub for the natural scenery here, and from there you could visit Erawan National Park or the Sai Yok Noi Falls.

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This region travel guide to West of Bangkok is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!