Phatthalung southeast of Krabi is quite an unknown province to foreign tourists but a popular destination among Thai people. Located between Songkhla Lake to the east and the mountains to the west, Phattalung is an excellent destination to see some of the country’s natural beauty without the massive crowds. The big attraction is the Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve in Khuan Khanun which is a protected freshwater wetland with millions of pink lotus flowers.
Located near the town of Kanchanaburi in Thailand, the lush and tropical setting around the rail bridge on Khwae Yai River makes for a beautiful location in contrast to the horrible history which took place here during WWII. Estimated 100,000 people died during terrible circumstances when the Japanese forced Asian slave labors and prisoners of war — most of them British, Dutch and Australian — to build the Thai-Burma Railway, a part of which is the bridge.
The bridge made world-famous by the 1957 movie The Bridge on the River Kwai, and although the movie was filmed at another bridge in Sri Lanka, the real one on Khwae Yai River has become a major tourist attraction and a symbol for the notorious railway.
The history of the ‘Death Railway,’ as the Thai-Burma Railway is called is also depicted in the highly successful film The Railway Man from 2013 starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman.
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which has been selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) unique as a cultural, historical or natural site that shows “outstanding universal value” and is legally protected by international treaties. There are currently five World Heritage Sites in Thailand and six other sites on the tentative list considered for nomination. Out of the 11 sites listed below, we have visited three (those with a checkmark), meaning we have lots of interesting places yet to explore.