Leaving Bangkok on New Year’s Day, we made an uneventful journey to Kanchanaburi. A little history lesson is required to understand why we desired to explore this mall, out-of-the-way city. As the Japanese empire was expanding during WWII, a route was required to supply the westernmost front lines and to support the troop’s colonies along the way. As Thailand had not resisted Japanese occupation and was still safe from allied attack, a supply line could safely come through the country. With a weakening naval force, the seaward route around the southern tip of Malaysia was much too vulnerable. Likewise, a rail route along Thailand’s northern border traversed too close to allied territory. A rail link connecting Thailand to Burma through the interior had been considered previously by the Thai and the Japanese, however on both occasions
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