Chung Kai War Cemetery occupies the former site of a POW camp of the same name located a few kilometres south of downtown on the west bank of the River Khwae Noi.
Most of the 1,750 soldiers buried here died after other prisoners with medical skills were unable to save them. While significantly smaller than the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, the appearance is very similar and this is perhaps a better place to reflect because it was an actual POW camp during the war, complete with a church and rudimentary hospital.
Some of the gravestones are marked only with the name and (often very young) age of the fallen, while others contain personal messages from family members. One of them reads: "Resting far away but deep in our hearts at home. His loving wife, Mum and Dad."
Chung Kai War Cemetery is often hit on a bicycle or longtail boat ride that could also include the nearby cave shrines at Wat Tham Khao Poon.
By
David Luekens.
Last updated on 11th February, 2017.
How to get there
To get here from downtown, take the bridge that cuts west from Wat Thewasangkharam and continue south on Highway 3228; you’ll reach the cemetery on the left, about a km after crossing a second smaller bridge.
Location map for Chung Kai War Cemetery
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