Take the train there and the bus back.
Kanchanaburi is located about 130 km west of Bangkok and is easily accessible by two means. The train is the primary reason to travel by train. Two regular trains depart daily from Thon Buri Station on the riverbank in Bangkok at 7:45 a.m. and 1:55 p.m., arriving in Kanchanaburi about two and a quarter hours later. From there, they continue directly across the Bridge on the River Kwai on the old Death Railway line. Foreigners pay a flat fare of 100 baht; tickets are available at the station on the day of travel and do not require reservations.
Check the current flight times and seat availability for flights from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi on 12Go.
The road is faster. Buses depart from the South Terminal approximately every 15 minutes starting at 5:00 AM for about 110 baht and take roughly two hours. Since the opening of the M81 motorway at the end of 2025, the journey by car also takes about two hours and costs approximately 2,500 baht. I recommend taking the 7:45 AM train there, as the journey itself is an experience, and returning by bus or train at 2:43 PM.
Accommodation in Kanchanaburi
This route ends in Kanchanaburi. Search for hotels in Kanchanaburi for your travel dates or narrow your search to the region you wish to visit. Filter for hotels with free cancellation if you'd like to book a room and decide later.
Open Booking.com with your travel dates · also on Expedia · Trip.com
My picks in every price category in Kanchanaburi
Key facts
Two trains daily from Thon Buri, 100 baht for foreigners
Buses 257 and 259 depart from Thon Buri at 7:45 a.m. and 1:55 p.m., respectively, and arrive in Kanchanaburi at approximately 10:30 a.m. and 4:20 p.m. A few minutes later, they cross the Bridge on the River Kwai. Third class, fans and open windows. Thai citizens pay 25 baht.
Reservations are not possible; tickets must be purchased at the train station.
Regular train tickets are not available online or in advance. Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before departure, buy tickets at the ticket counter, and take an available seat.
Buses depart from the South Terminal every 15 minutes.
First-class buses depart from the southern terminal in Sai Tai Mai from 5:00 AM to 10:30 PM; the journey takes approximately two hours and costs around 110 baht. Vans also depart from the Mo Chit van terminal, and tourist minibuses are available from Khao San Road.
The journey by car on the new M81 motorway takes about two hours.
The 96 km long Bang Yai–Kanchanaburi highway opened in October 2025; tolls for cars have been 45–150 baht since January 2026. Driving a private car from Bangkok costs approximately 2,500–2,800 baht.
It's about 130 km, and the bridge is 3 km north of the center.
The buses stop at the bus station in the city center. The train stops at Kanchanaburi station and then at River Kwai Bridge station, right next to the bridge.
A day trip is possible, but two days are better.
The train gives you about four hours in the city before the return trip at 2:43 pm. Erawan Falls and Hellfire Pass are each over an hour further away, so an overnight stay is necessary there.
All routes from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi compared
The train timetables are from Richard Barrow's Thai Train Guide, and the fares are from the tickets filmed in the 2026 journey videos. The bus connections are based on the departure times from the South Terminal, listed by Wikivoyage and the Thai National Parks website. The prices for minibuses and cars are from 12Go for November and include the booking fee.
Bookable departures · updated daily
Bangkok → Kanchanaburi: Departure times you can book now
All flights currently bookable via 12Go on this route, sorted by booking class. The prices shown are distributed across the different booking classes; the exact price for a seat and a specific date can be found on the booking page.
bus
Minivan
12Go timetables and fares are updated daily. Services that operate only locally—regular trains, weekend trips, and ferry terminal tickets—are not listed; these can be found in the table above. Sponsored link: We may receive a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Check the current bus and minibus connections from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi.
The 12Go live display board shows the vans departing from Mo Chit and the tourist minibuses departing from Khao San Road, along with today's departure times and available seats. Tickets for the regular trains are not available online and can therefore be found in the table below.
Sponsored link – We may receive a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
The Kanchanaburi train timetable
For train times, refer to Richard Barrow's Death Railway timetable. Other published timetables show variations of up to ten minutes between arrivals in Kanchanaburi, so be sure to arrive at the station early to avoid missing the return trains. A third train, No. 486, departs Nam Tok at 3:30 PM but stops in Kanchanaburi and does not continue to Bangkok.
The ฿100 train from Thon Buri
All regular trains to Kanchanaburi depart from Thon Buri, not from Hua Lamphong or the new Krung Thep Aphiwat station. Thon Buri station is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, near Siriraj Hospital, and within walking distance of the Thonburi Railway pier for the Chao Phraya Express boat. The 7:45 a.m. and 1:55 p.m. trains are third class with ceiling fans and windows that open. The flat fare of 100 baht for foreigners is valid for all stations on the line, so the same ticket can also be used to travel across the bridge to Nam Tok if you are staying there. Thai citizens pay 25 baht.
There is no advance ticket sale. Tickets are purchased at the ticket counter on the day of travel. Seat reservations are not possible, and the trains are not fully booked, however, you will have to stand for the first leg of the journey. The route takes you through Nakhon Pathom, past the enormous chedi, through rice paddies and sugarcane plantations, and lasts approximately two and a quarter hours to Kanchanaburi station. From there, it is a seven-minute walk to the Bridge on the River Kwai.
On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, the excursion train No. 909 departs from Hua Lamphong at 6:30 a.m. It stops for half an hour at the bridge and then continues to Nam Tok. The return trip to Bangkok departs the same evening at 7:25 p.m. A round trip costs 120 baht in a standard carriage (without a fan) or 240 baht in an air-conditioned carriage. Tickets are available on the SRT website, D-Ticket, and sell out quickly.
Flooding led to the closure of the railway line beyond Tha Kilen, including the Tham Krasae Viaduct, at the end of September 2026. The SRT reopened the line to Nam Tok on October 3. The Bangkok–Kanchanaburi line and the bridge were not affected. If you plan to travel to Nam Tok during the rainy season, please check with Thon Buri before your trip or call the SRT hotline at 1690.
Buses and minibuses from the South Terminal and Mo Chit
If you'd prefer to arrive in two hours, take the bus. First-class buses to Kanchanaburi depart from the Sai Tai Mai South Terminal in Taling Chan, in the west of the city, approximately every 15 minutes from 5:00 AM to 10:30 PM and cost around 110 baht. There are also vans from the Mo Chit Van Terminal in Chatuchak (around 210 baht, bookable online) and tourist minibuses from Khao San Road (415 to 490 baht, bookable online) that stop at the bridge, a riverside resort, or the bus station. The vans that used to depart from Victory Monument moved to the bus stations in 2016, so ignore older guidebooks that direct you there.
The buses arrive at the Kanchanaburi bus station in the city center. The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre are also located in the city. The bridge is about 3 km north of the war cemetery. You can reach the bridge and the riverside guesthouses by songthaew, grab, or tuk-tuk.
By car on the new M81 motorway
The M81 Bang Yai–Kanchanaburi highway has transformed driving. This 96-km-long new road connects Bangkok's western outskirts to the city. It opened toll-free at the end of October 2025, but since January 16, 2026, tolls of between 45 and 150 baht per car have been levied. From a hotel in central Bangkok, the total distance is approximately 125 to 130 km, and the journey takes about two hours, depending on the approach from the city.
On 12Go, private cars from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi start at around 2,000 baht, with limousines usually costing between 2,500 and 2,800 baht (door-to-door). This is the most comfortable option for families with luggage. You can ask the driver to stop at the Chedi in Nakhon Pathom along the way.
The best-rated hotels in Kanchanaburi
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Kanchanaburi. Each button will take you directly to the hotel's page on Booking.com, where you can enter your travel dates.
Day trip or overnight stay?
A day trip is ideal if you want to visit the bridge, the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, and the railway museum. The 7:45 train takes you to Kanchanaburi around 10:30 and to the bridge at 10:37. The cemetery and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre are located right next to each other in the city. The last train back departs Kanchanaburi at 2:43 pm (2:34 pm from the bridge) and arrives in Thon Buri at 5:40 pm. This gives you about four hours at each location – plenty of time to see these three sights. Alternatively, you can take the bus back in the evening and stay longer.
For excursions into the surrounding area, an overnight stay is recommended. Hellfire Pass, the gorge carved by hand through the rock by Allied prisoners of war and Asian forced laborers, lies about 80 km northwest of the city. The associated museum is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and admission is free. Erawan Falls can be reached by bus 8170 in about 1.5 hours. The park entrance fee is 300 baht for foreign adults, and the last bus back to the city departs at 4:30 pm. Bus line 257 continues from the bridge over the Tham Krasae Viaduct to Nam Tok – a route most travelers take on the second morning. Two overnight stays are sufficient to explore everything at a leisurely pace.
Kanchanaburi to Bangkok
Two trains depart daily back to Bangkok: at 7:05 a.m. and 2:43 p.m. from Kanchanaburi Station (departing from the bridge at 6:59 a.m. and 2:34 p.m.). Trains to Thon Buri arrive at 9:35 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. Charan Sanitwong, one of the last stops before Thon Buri, is located right next to Bang Khun Non MRT station on the blue line. From there, it's easier to get into the city.
Buses back to the South Terminal depart from Kanchanaburi Bus Station during the day, and minibuses run to Mo Chit and Khao San Road. For an early flight, a transfer from your Kanchanaburi hotel to one of Bangkok's airports costs about the same as a ride into the city itself. My Kanchanaburi to Bangkok travel guide includes MRT stops, the bus station, and the return route from Erawan and Hellfire Pass.
Kanchanaburi → Bangkok: Departure times you can book now
Check the current bus and minibus connections from Kanchanaburi to Bangkok.
The same display board for the return journey, with the minibuses to Mo Chit and Khao San and the buses to the bus stations in Bangkok.
Watch the train journey
Two journeys in 2026 on the ฿100 train from Bangkok, both using the ticket office in Thon Buri.
Are you planning the rest of the trip?
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the Bangkok–Kanchanaburi route.
By train from Thon Buri station at 07:45 or 13:55 (approx. 2 hours 45 minutes, 100 Baht for foreigners), by first class bus from the South Terminal every 15 minutes from 05:00 (approx. two hours, approx. 110 Baht), by van from Mo Chit or tourist minibus from Khao San Road, or by private car via the M81 highway in approx. two hours for approx. 2,500–2,800 Baht.
Foreigners pay a flat rate of 100 baht on the Kanchanaburi Line to any station, including the Bridge on the River Kwai and Nam Tok. Thai citizens pay 25 baht. The weekend excursion costs 120 baht for a round trip in a fan-assisted carriage or 240 baht in an air-conditioned carriage.
No. Tickets for regular trains from Thon Buri are only sold at the station ticket office on the day of travel; seat reservations are not possible. Only the weekend excursion train from Hua Lamphong can be purchased online via the SRT's D-Ticket website.
Thon Buri railway station is located on the west bank of the river near Siriraj Hospital, not in Hua Lamphong or Krung Thep Aphiwat. An exception is the weekend excursion train, which departs from Hua Lamphong at 6:30 a.m.
Private cars booked through 12Go cost from approximately 2,000 Baht, limousines usually 2,500–2,800 Baht per trip (door-to-door). From January 2026, a toll of 45–150 Baht per car will be charged on the M81 motorway, which is generally included in the pre-booked fare.
Yes, for the bridge, the war cemetery, and the railway museum. The 7:45 train will get you there around 10:30, and the last train back leaves at 2:43 PM. Alternatively, you can take the bus back in the evening. Erawan Falls and Hellfire Pass are each over an hour outside the city, so an overnight stay is necessary there.
Yes. Trains 257 and 259 run from Kanchanaburi across the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Tham Krasae Viaduct to Nam Tok. The ticket price remains 100 baht. Due to flooding, the line was closed for a few days beyond Tha Kilen at the end of September 2026. Therefore, during the rainy season, please check with the SRT at 1690 before traveling to Nam Tok.
Departure at 2:43 PM from Kanchanaburi Railway Station (departure at 2:34 PM from River Kwai Bridge Railway Station), arrival in Thon Buri at 5:40 PM. Afterwards, take a bus or minibus from the bus station.
Compare prices on the major booking portals and filter for rooms with free cancellation if you want to book now and decide later.
Compare prices on Booking.com
Compare prices on Trip.com
We may receive a commission for bookings made through these links – this will not incur any additional costs for you. Learn more.
Further from Kanchanaburi
Return journey? From Kanchanaburi to Bangkok – All routes in Thailand
You might also like this
Best time to travel to Thailand
The best time to travel is from November to February; the rest of the year is best on the east coast.
Thailand on a budget
Thailand for less money, without sacrificing the best
Is Thailand safe?
What actually poses risks, what is only mentioned in the news, and what do four government advisories say – destination by destination?
Thailand Visa and Entry Requirements
Who is allowed to enter visa-free, what entry controls are in place, what is the TDAC, and how can you extend your stay?
Ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai
No riding, no shows, and the protected areas where you watch rather than wash.
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
Ready to create your travel itinerary?
Use our free trip planner to save places, organize days, and share your trip.
Community
Comments 0
Start the conversation.