The "Mon Bridge" in Sangkhlaburi
If you are planning to make a trip from Kanchanaburi to the Three Pagodas Pass (on the Myanmar border), that is a great choice. It is a beautiful route along the river and through national parks and also passes through the wetland area of Sangkhlaburi.
In that district you will find the village of Nong Lu, which is known for the famous Mon Bridge, the second longest wooden bridge in the world.
The Mon Bridge (Saphan Mon) is about 850 meters long and connects Songhlaburi with a village, where mainly people of the ethnic Mon people live, on the other side of the river Songkalia. It is a wonderful tourist attraction, one can walk across the bridge and enjoy beautiful views over the water, especially during sunrise and sunset. The bridge is only for walking over, cars and mopeds are not allowed.
The bridge accident happened in July of last year, when part of the bridge collapsed. During a violent storm with a lot of rain, the current in the river, aided by masses of seaweed, which came with the current, part of the bridge gave way. Fortunately, no personal accidents occurred, but the fact that the bridge became unusable was a minor disaster for the villagers.
Under the leadership of the mayor, it was soon decided to make a temporary floating bridge, entirely made of bamboo wood. The bridge was expected to take two to three weeks to complete, but more than 500 residents from both Mon village and Sangkhlaburi joined forces and built the bridge in six days. It has become a beautiful piece of work, made by Thais and ethnic Mons, who wanted to show with their willpower that there is a connection in this community.
There is a lot to see on your journey to the Myanmar border, but you should definitely include this bridge in the program, very worthwhile.
I already mentioned that the Mon Bridge is the second longest wooden bridge in the world. Now of course you want to know what the longest wooden bridge is and I looked it up for you. It is the almost 900 meters long Horai Bridge in Shimada in Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan. So, you know that too!
Thank you very much for your information. Sounds like a great trip to me.
To my knowledge the longest wooden bridge in the world is in Myamar, Ubein bridge near Mandalay is 1200m long
This as a correction, does not detract from the rescue to take a look at Thailand's bridge
Herman
Have seen both. Indeed, the Ubein bridge is more spectacular and in my opinion the longest. Teak wood too. But this one is definitely worth it too.
In addition, there is only one road to the Three Pagodas Pass, so return is the same road.
You don't have to make the trip for just the monument. They are three small pagodas in a row in a grassy garden near the border crossing to Burma. The border crossing, which you as a foreigner cannot easily pass, looks simple and sober with some souvenir shops.
For several years now, the water supply in the lakes near Sangklaburi has been shrinking drastically, so that the dry banks are quickly overgrown with all kinds of aquatic plants. The wooden bridge is only accessible to pedestrians and a donation is requested at the beginning of the bridge.
At the bridge you can rent a boat at a reasonable price and make a beautiful trip on the lake. You can also visit some temples and a hospital that were submerged when the lake was formed. One of these temples is located on a hill in a small piece of jungle. It will cost you some drops of sweat but worth it! Unfortunately, due to the low water level, the effect of 'underwater temples' has been canceled out.
The village of Nong Lu (near the bridge) is very modest and there are no accommodation options. However, there are a few resorts in the area that occasionally see a white person. There is little or no bread at breakfast, not even in the Resorts.
During the route from Kanchanaburi to the Three Pagoden Pass, after about 60 kilometers you will pass the Helfire Pass on the left side of the road (for information see the internet). A visit to this museum is definitely worth it. Admission is free and the pass is accessible through a considerable scramble, but really, this is not to be missed.
During the route it is also possible to visit some beautiful caves and see the remains of the tiger temple. There are no more tigers to be spotted, but there are birds, deer and other meadow animals. The entrance is free but you have to fill in a form at the entrance.
Because this route has so many possibilities, I would recommend everyone to plan an overnight stay in Sangklaburi for this trip.
More has already been written about the Sanklaburi district on the Thailand blog. It is unclear why this area is so little visited by tourists, while it is certainly one of the most beautiful places in Thailand.
Peter.
I can only confirm every word. We have been there about 2 months ago and it is indeed a beautiful route. If you really want to enjoy this area, you should indeed spend at least 2 days. It is true that the three pagodas are a bit disappointing, but that is also compensated by another piece of history about the Burma railway. You will find here a piece of railway line and the necessary information. Too bad it's not that easy to pop across the border but hey, you can't have everything. For the connoisseur, in addition to clothes, furniture, trinkets, etc., you can also buy liquor and smoking products in the shops, at considerably lower prices and … .. original, not fake. Just one piece of advice, don't go in the rainy season or do all outdoor activities before 15pm, after that it's going to pour. It then comes down with buckets and it is not really pleasant to sit in a boat in the middle of the lake at such a moment, like we did. For the rest, just do it!
Peter has said that well. My wife is descended from the Mon and I have also been able to see it. Beautiful environment. She still has family who go through life as monks in a temple on the south side of the lake. I heard from one of the older monks that they take turns manning other temple complexes (which are more remote in this area) in periods of six months to a year. There is definitely danger from wild beasts such as tigers and bears. A year and a half ago, a monk was bitten to death by a tiger. He advised me not to take mountain walks in the more remote areas of the parks, etc. Be wary of this. The Mon shirts are also something specific and I have purchased a number of them. You may know them with buttoned at the front or with cords and stitched motifs. Sit nice and cool and as folklore this is appreciated by the Thai people. Just a pity that they only go up to size 50 and they are fitted to me. Well worth it for 250 baht each. At the Mon bridge you can rent bungalows on the water for 1400 baht per night. You can also fish there. A boat trip of one hour costs about 700 baht. On the north side of the bridge is a restaurant where you can eat well and have a good view over the bridge and the lake. There is also an overnight stay on the north side in a hotel with a swimming pool and a view over the lake for those who prefer luxury. Just google it and you'll find it. Indeed there is only one road along the lake and it is not lit at night so it is best to travel during the day as it is quite high up and many bends without adequate visibility and we know how a fair number of Thais drive, certainly with a sip. So drive quietly there.
Breakfast options are also available at this restaurant. Not a lot of choice, but tasty.
Beautiful to see and definitely worth a visit. We have been there in 2017. really worth it and certainly also a boat trip to do