THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAE
The Bridge over the River Kwae was build during
the Great Pasific War when Japan declared war on the United States of America
and England, later became a part of World War II . The bridge begun in October,
2485 BE (1942 AD) and completed in October, 2486 BE ( 1943 AD) On 16th
September, 2485 BE (1942 AD) the Japanese army sign the contract with the
Thai government to built this strategic railway from Thailand to Burma (now
Myanmar). 
The railway started from Nongpladuk station about 5 kilometres from
Banpong railway station, and it crossed the River Kwae Yai at Ban Thamakham in
Muang district of Kanchanaburi province ( In those days the place was called
“Ban Tha Maa Kham” meaning “horses Crossing”). The railway was laid northward
passing through Kanchanaburi for about 4 kilometers along the River Kwae Yai
and at the bridge it made a sharp curve going along with the River Kwae Noi
passing through the Thai – Burmese border at the Three Pagodas Pass connecting
the Burmese railway at Thanbyuzayat station. The total length of the railway
was 415 kilometres : 303,95 kilometers in Thailand and 111,05 in Burmar. The
prisoners of war taken from Malaya, Singapore, Indonesia and other countries in
the Pasific region were forced to build the railway. They were put on the train
in the south and got off at Banpong Station. They had to walk for 51 kilometres
to get to Kanchanaburi .
The prisoners of war comprised British, Australian,
Dutch soldiers as well as Malaya, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Burmese, Javanese labourers totaling nearly two
hundred thousand. The railway construction was very laborious and difficult as
it had to go trough thick jungles and high mountains, and dangerous animals
were everywhere. The most difficult part was that they had to build the bridge
over the River Kwae. The arduous task continued all days all nights amidst
hunger and dangereous disease like malaria. The brutality of the war took over
100.000 lives of prisoners of war and labourers . Hence the railway called “The
Death Railway”. The Japenese army chose to build the bridge at Thamakham
because the soil structure was solid and suitable. To speed up the work, the
Japanese army built a temporary wooden bridge about 100 metres from the present
one to transport construction materials. It took three months to complete.
The present iron bridge spans were brought
from Indonesia. The 300 metres
bridge consisted of 11 iron spans and other parts were made of wood. The
total construction time was only 6 months, and the total distance was 415
kilometres. The official opening date for the railway was 28th
November , 2486 BE ( 1943 AD). The wooden bridge was later dismantled as it
blocked the water way. During the war, the Bridge over the River Kwae was
heavily bombarded by the alled planes. The spans 4-6 were damaged and
unable to operate. Finaly, Japan surrendered on 15th August
2488 BE ( 1945 AD ). After the war was over , the British government sold the
railway and all railway related materials to the Thai government at the price
50 million bath. Later, the State Railway of Thailand repaired the bridge and
replaced it with two iron spans and the 6 wooden parts were replaced by iron
spans as well. The bridge has been in use up to the present time.
Saya berangkat dari Bangkok lewat stasiun kereta api Thonburi ( Stasiun selain Hua Lamphong di Bangkok) dengan menggunakan kereta api yang lewat stasiun River Kwai menuju Nam Tok.
Saya berangkat dari Bangkok lewat stasiun kereta api Thonburi ( Stasiun selain Hua Lamphong di Bangkok) dengan menggunakan kereta api yang lewat stasiun River Kwai menuju Nam Tok.
Gambar 1. Stasiun Thonburi yang melayani jalur kereta api Bangkok - Nam Tok
melewati stasiun River Kwai
Gambar 2. Jadwal Perjalanan Kereta Api yang diberangkatkan dari Thonburi.
Gambar 3. Gerbong "Ordinary Class" dan jenis Lok yang menarik rangkaian.
Gambar 4. Dengan biaya jauh dekat Bath 100,- saya menuju jembatan kereta api yang konon diangkut Jepang ke Siam dari salah satu jembatan kereta api di Jawa Tengah
Gambar 5. Menjelang sore saya dan anak saya turun di stasiun River Kwai
Gambar 6. Lokasi jembatan hanya beberapa puluh meter dari stasiun. Banyak sekali Turis dan Backpacker yang berkunjung. Namun dari ratusan pengagum jembatan, orang Indonesi-nya hanya saya dan anak saya. Sebagian besar orang Eropa dan Jepang. Bangsa saya kalau ke Thailand yang dikunjungi adalah Mall MBK dan sebangsanya, sekedar untuk berbelanja.
Gambar 7. Sebelum lewat, kereta api akan meneriakkan semboyan berkali-kali supaya para pengunjung keluar dari area jembatan. Kereta api akan berjalan pelan-pelan dengan kecepatan maksimum 10 Kilo meter per-jam. Umumnya penumpangnya sudah hampir kosong, sebagian besar sudah turun meskipun ada juga yang melanjutkan perjalanan ke Nam Tok untuk melihat "The Dead Railway", melihat sisa-sisa kekejaman Tentara Jepang saat membangin proyek jalan kereta api menuju Birma.
Gambar 8. Sebuah Monumen bom.
Gambar 9. Saya menemukan rel buatan Krupp tahun 1908. Namun masih kuat dilewati kereta api wisata kelas mahal "Orient Express"
Gambar 10. Masih disisakan dua jenis rel diatas jembatan. Rel yang dalam adalah rel ukuran kereta api Jepang (saat itu) dan yang luar adalah rel standar kereta api di Siam.
Gambar 11. Stasiun Kereta Api River Kwai dilihat dari arah jembatan
Gambar 12. Lok krativitas tentara Jepang...hehehehe.... sayang kurang jelas. Rodanya lebar, supaya bisa pindah ukuran rel Jepang ke rel Siam.
Gambar 13. Pulang ke Bangkok saya lewat stasiun Kanchanaburi dan dihalaman stasiun saya melihat ada lok uap aneh.
Gambar 14. Lok uap dua mesin, satu untuk maju dan satu untuk mundur.
Gambar 15. Kata orang Surabaya......namanya Odong-odong...
Gambar 16. Selamat tinggal Jembatan River Kwai, yang ternyata mbujuk, sebab yang dilewati jembatan kereta api itu bukan sungai Kwai.
Sungai Kwai adalah sungai yang sejajar dengan rel kereta api dan mulai dari hulu sampai hilir tidak pernah ada rel kereta api yang melintas diatasnya.
Gambar 17. Namun untuk menarik wisatawan, dibuat iklan dengan nunut
ketenaran film "The bridge on the River Kwai" yang mengingatkan kita pada perang dunia.
Lha celakanya menurut skenario yang saya baca, film itu sendiri dibuat di Sri Langka .....hehehehe