Central Thailand

The past is never far behind in Central Thailand. Ayuthaya, Siam's former royal capital, is practically an open-air museum, with dozens of enchanting temple ruins peopled by stone Buddhas, while Kanchanaburi's WWII memorials pay tribute to the thousands of lives lost building the Death Railway.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Erawan National Park

Kanchanaburi Province

Splashing in emerald-green pools under Erawan Falls is the highlight of this very popular 550-sq-km park. Seven tiers of waterfall tumble through the…
Death Railway Bridge

Kanchanaburi

Constructed by POW labour, this 300m-long bridge is heavy with the history of the Thailand–Burma Railway. Its centre was destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945…
Bang Pa In Palace

Ayuthaya

Ornate buildings are sprinkled across Bang Pa In Palace's 19-hectare gardens. First established in the 17th century, the palace was revived in the 19th…
Hellfire Pass Interpretive Centre

Kanchanaburi Province

The infamous cutting known as Hellfire Pass was the largest along the length of the Thailand–Burma Railway, and the most deadly for the people forced to…
Sri Nakarin Dam National Park

Kanchanaburi Province

Visitors to Erawan National Park often find themselves wondering what the waterfall would be like without the hordes. The answer is Namtok Huay Mae Khamin.
Saphan Mon

Kanchanaburi Province

Sangkhlaburi's iconic, 447m-long wooden bridge, the largest in Thailand, connects the main town, home mostly to Thai and Karen, with the Mon settlement…
Thailand–Burma Railway Centre

Kanchanaburi

This excellent museum balances statistics and historical context with personal accounts of the conditions endured by POWs and other imprisoned labourers…
Wat Ratchaburana

Ayuthaya

The prang (Khmer-style spire) in this large temple complex is one of the best extant versions in the city. There are giant stucco-sculpted Garuda on the…