To Bangkok

Today the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi is one of the most favorite of visitor attractions for visitors to Bangkok. Just a consolidate of hours from the city it now forms a part of many dissimilar tours. In fact there are visitors to Thailand who come especially to see the Tiger Temple.

One could very beyond doubt believe that the Temples tradition of rearing and living with tigers is a long established humane pursuit. It isn’t though. The temple has only been complex with tigers since 1999.

Kanchanaburi

At this time two orphaned tigers, probably taken from a poached mother, were handed in to the temple. The monks decided to rear them. Very swiftly it was noted that the tigers stimulated an interest in visitors. Visitors were also ready to pay to touch the tigers and have their photographs taken with them. Commercial greed reared its ugly head. Far from needing money to pay for a consolidate of tigers, more tigers were purchased illegally. There was trade in tigers against international law. They also started breeding tigers, pulling the cubs from their mothers and rearing them on pig milk.

There was talk of policy of ‘conservation’ which the citizen complex do not have an inkling of understanding about and of ‘saving’ the tigers which is just as laughable. The tigers were neither being conserved nor saved. It was even recommend that they would be returning tigers to the wild. This is a specialist job and could not be done with semi humanised tigers of unknown parentage and also the tigers already in the wild were already in sufficient problems without having their territory encroached on by other animals.

Visitors to the tiger temple only see the tip of the iceberg and can be forgiven in believing that they are finding something wonderful. The ‘Lion lays down with the Lamb’ but in this case the monk with the tiger. Visitors can be forgiven in getting a kick out of being so close to a big cat.

Lions or Tigers having been hand reared are all the time going to be that microscopic bit tamer than a mum reared animal but they are not 100% safe. They are not domesticated. They are wild animals. There is an ever present risk that at some point someone is going to get killed.

Volunteers who have worked at the temple talk of the tigers being drugged, of being beaten and of being illegally traded.

The International Tiger Coalition wrote an record to the Thai Government in 2008 outlining their fears and hopes. The reply they received said the Tigers were now the property of the Government but cared for by the Monks whilst a decision was made on their future.

In August 2009 the Tiger Temple was given permission to operate as a zoo. This means that they now have virtual free rein to continue with their crimes.

The Tiger Temple Becomes a Zoo

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Today visitors come to pay their respects to fallen Allied soldiers or to peruse for themselves more about the town’s dark past. But Kan, as locals call it, is also a great place to relax at riverside guesthouses or speculation to colse to natural attractions.

Sights

Kanchanaburi

Thailand-Burma Railway Centre

Before you head out to the Kwai River Bridge, get a puny history under your belt at this museum (%0 3451 0067; 73 Jaokannun; adult/child 60/30B; h9am-5pm). Professional exhibits form Japan’s aggression in Southeast Asia while Wwii and its plan to join together Yangon (in Burma) with Bangkok via rail for transport of forces supplies. Captured Allied soldiers as well as Burmese and Malay captives were transportable to the jungles of Kanchanaburi to build 415km of rail – known today as the Death Railway because of the many lives (more than 100,000 men) the scheme claimed.

Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery

Across the street from the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre, the Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery (Th Saengchuto; admission free; h7am-6pm) is a touching gift from the Thai population to remember the Pows, mainly from Britain and Holland, who died on their soil.

Kwai River Bridge (Death Railway Bridge)

While the story made celebrated by the film The Bridge on the River Kwai is one of endurance, heroism and suffering, the span itself is just an commonplace bridge with an remarkable history. A bit of imagination and some historical context will help to enliven a visit to the bridge, which was a small but strategic part of the Death Railway to Burma. Engineers estimated that building would take five years, but the human labourers were forced to complete the railway in 16 months. Allied planes destroyed the bridge in 1945 but later repairs restored the span; the bomb damage is still apparent in the pylons closest to the riverbanks.

During the first week of December there’s a nightly sound-and-light show put on at the bridge. It’s a pretty impressive scene, with simulations of bombers and explosions and remarkable bursts of light. The town gets a lot of tourists while this week, so book early. The bridge is roughly 3km from the town centre and the best way for you to reach it is by bicycle. You can also catch a sÇZwngthÇZew (5B) going north along Saengchuto, but it isn’t distinct when to get off; if you get to the Castle Mall, you’ve gone too far. There are also three daily departures across the bridge on the Kanchanaburi-Nam Tok train

World War Ii Museum

Near the bridge is a secretly owned museum (Mae Nam Khwae; admission 30B; h9am-6pm), a veritable temple to kitsch, sometimes also known as the Jeath War Museum to capitalise on the popularity of an additional one museum by the same name in town. The range might be the oddest assortment of memorabilia under one roof, but the building does afford picture postcard views of the bridge.

Jeath War Museum

This outdoor museum (Pak Phraek; admission 30B; h8.30am-6pm), the primary Jeath, is run by monks as a testament to the atrocities of war. The displays of historic photographs are housed in a bamboo hut, much like the ones the Pows used. More a photo gallery than museum, it isn’t very informative, but it is heartfelt, especially the fading pictures of surviving Pows who returned to Thailand for a memorial service.

Holidays in Kanchanaburi Thailand – Historical and Picturesque

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Chiang Mai is a city in Nothern Thailand that is often referred to as the “Rose of the North”. With its beautiful mountains, restful countryside and the diplomatic nature of its locals, it is easy to see why it is referred to as such. People from all over the world travel to Chiang Mai to enjoy its many attractions, not least of which is the endless shopping opportunities it offers. If you too are considering Chiang Mai as your travel destination, rest assured that getting there is a fairly easy process.

By Air – The city has one main airport – Chiang Mai International Airport. This is a large bustling airport that caters to both domestic and international flights. It is located only about 4 km away from the city centre, which you can reach in about ten minutes by car. You may select to take the airport taxis or the metered taxis, both of which can be found immediately outside the terminal. You also have the choice of taking a bus, which provides a economy way of travelling, or a tuk-tuk, the local contraption.

Chiang Mai

To get to Chiang Mai by air, there are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Myanmar, China, and Laos. There are also numerous domestic flights that can take you to Chiang Mai from Bangkok, Ko Samui, Phuket and Chiang Rai. The main airlines that can be found at the airport are Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Silk Air and China Airlines. There are also funds airlines such as Air Asia.

By Bus – If you wish to go Chiang Mai and you are currently in Bangkok, the bus might also be a viable converyance option. The period of the journey depends on how much you are willing to pay. The government buses offer their tickets at the lowest price; however, these are non-air-conditioned buses which make numerous stops along the way, and take almost twelve hours to reach Chiang Mai. The more prestigious bus services will take colse to nine hours; however, the prices of such tickets are much higher. Buses to Chiang Mai from Bangkok commonly leave from the Northern Bus Terminal, otherwise known as Moh Chit.

There are also buses connecting many parts of Northern and North-eastern Thailand to Chiang Mai.

By Train – Train travel is only an choice if you are going to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. All such trains leave from the Hualamphong Train Station. The period of the journey depends on the type of train assistance you have selected – there are daytime trains, overnight trains and express trains. Prices vary accordingly, and you are strongly urged to make enlarge bookings. The train will drop you off at Chiang Mai Train Station, which is quite close to the city centre.

Getting to Chiang Mai in Thailand

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