River Kwai and tours to it from Pattaya.

Thailand is not just about islands, Bangkok with its temples, or Pattaya with its racy evening shows. Thailand also offers many inland excursions, and one of them is a trip to the River Kwai. In this article, we will take a detailed look at what an excursion to the River Kwai from Pattaya entails and give a few useful tips for first-timers. But, let’s take it step by step…

Excursion to the River Kwai

So, in 2025, as indeed a year or two ago, the most in-demand place from a travel-excursion standpoint is the River Kwai because nowhere else can you fully immerse yourself in the Land of Smiles and at least try to experience the spirit of provincial Thailand.

The river is located in Uthai Thani Province, although its mouth is in Kanchanaburi Province. Its length is about 380 km. During World War II, the Japanese military built a railway across it to transport food and munitions. That dramatic event was the inspiration for the novel “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” as well as the film of the same name. The drama of these events is intensified by the fact that over 60,000 prisoners of war died during construction.

The distance from Pattaya to the river is about 400 km, and it’s even farther from Phuket. Because of this distance, it is difficult to travel here on an excursion from Phuket or from Krabi, but if your desire is strong enough that you’re not worried about time or money, you can certainly find a way.

Below is a map showing the River Kwai.

We should clarify right away that there are several excursion options, and one of them includes rafting on the river, while another does not. Moreover, there is an option to spend the night in a hotel without electricity, which is part of its charm (kerosene lamps and romantic twilight).

In this article, we will talk about a more relaxed type of getaway featuring a premium-class hotel called “River Kwai Paradise.”

The excursion starts early in the morning because the road is not short, and the first stop for breakfast will be in 2–3 hours (we’ll discuss it below). After that, the minibus with travelers heads to the first attraction: the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.

Floating Market

The River Kwai in Thailand is an excursion into the country’s authenticity, and the floating market is a vivid example of that. If you think Damnoen Saduak is just another imitation of a marketplace, you’re mistaken. It’s an entire village on the water, whose banks are lined with a riverside market. Everything here is set up not just for tourists (although, who knows). The locals behave in a typical Thai way; they don’t pay attention to boats full of pale-skinned Europeans gliding by and go about their business. They wash clothes (yes, right in the river), dump chamber pot contents into the same river, wash dishes, and wash themselves. They have a more casual approach to hygiene (the water is, after all, flowing).

You might not want to stand in that river after seeing all this, but you will definitely get great photos and memorable videos.

You can buy anything at the market—strange trinkets, clothes, food, spices, fish, and even insects—but at a higher price than in Pattaya (what did you expect? This is the tourist business). Of course, you can haggle (everyone in Thailand does).

The trade takes place from piers and from boats. Nobody is pushy or grabs you by the sleeve asking you to buy something. Sellers may wave their goods at you to get your attention, but that’s about it. There are always buyers at the market, and there are plenty of local residents.

Teak Furniture Center

After the floating market, the tour moves on to a teak furniture factory—part store, part exhibition center. We doubt that most tourists can afford some of the pieces on display here, as there are items priced at 10–15 million baht each (usually these are huge artworks carved by masters from a single tree trunk).

Nobody will insist that you buy anything at this shopping center; it’s arranged so tourists can familiarize themselves with local artisans.

Wat Tham Suea Temple

The tour program later includes a visit to the Buddhist temple Wat Tham Suea, which houses Thailand’s most famous mummified monk—at least, that’s what many guides claim.

This temple is quite popular among the local population, who make pilgrimages to it. It has a large Buddha statue and several other sites that your guide will show you. But the most interesting part is the mummified monk. According to the story, about 40 years ago he asked not to be disturbed, adopted a meditation posture, and remained that way. The monk was placed in a glass case, and a webcam was installed so that anyone could see this miracle.

There is also a cave here where he lived for quite some time.

We don’t know what part of this story is true and what is made up for tourists, but the place is worth a visit.

After visiting the temple, the whole group will have lunch (buffet style) in a small Thai café. You can eat as much as you like, but we recommend not overdoing it because there’s still a lot left to see, including a hike to the Erawan Waterfall.

Erawan Waterfall

If you want to bring back photos from the River Kwai, here’s a tip: don’t forget your camera for the Erawan Waterfall. The scenery is spectacular—literally flaming with color.

If your main goal is to see a powerful waterfall, plan your excursion for November (the end of the rainy season, when the waterfall is at its fullest). In other months, unfortunately, you won’t get to experience the full force of the falling water.

Erawan has seven tiers, each of which you have to climb to (and it’s not so easy). The hike upward takes a bit more than 1.5 hours, and you only get three hours total to explore and swim, so you’ll have to decide what’s more important—making it all the way to the top or taking a dip in the cool water beneath the falling droplets?

To be completely honest, there’s no point going above the third tier. What will you see up there? It’s essentially the same scene. Yes, at the top the waterfall is more voluminous, but the second tier is also pretty impressive.

After the fourth tier, there’s basically no proper trail, and you’ll have to walk through the forest, watching your step to avoid being bitten by a creeping creature (it’s a tropical forest, after all, teeming with wildlife).

Where to Spend the Night

Erawan Waterfall is the final destination for the first day of the excursion, after which the group checks into a hotel. As previously discussed with the guide, you’ll stay either in a “royal” hotel with bungalows by the river or in a floating hotel without electricity (but don’t worry—that’s actually quite fun and authentic).

In addition to the bungalows, the royal hotel also has rooms that are farther from the river, but they aren’t as popular as those by the water.

Reviews of these hotels are positive, despite the presence of insects that can even bite.

Staying by the river is worthwhile for anyone wanting to be alone with nature and listen to its sounds.

Generally, your room should include:

• air conditioning;
• a bed;
• a toilet;
• a shower.

Right outside the door is a small seating area with benches, directly over the water.

Forget about spas and such, although there is a swimming pool on the premises.

It might be a bit concerning that some unknown bug could bite you while you sleep, but overall it’s cozy and romantic. At night, when you’re in your bungalow, you’ll hear the steady murmur of the water beneath the floor, which can be quite soothing.

In addition to the overnight stay, you’ll be served dinner and breakfast, buffet style. This hotel also hosts tourists who have purchased the “Fruit Paradise on the River Kwai” tour, but honestly, there wasn’t an abundance of fruit—most likely it just sounds appealing.

By the way, you’ll also have an early wake-up call on the second day, to fit in more sightseeing, and the second day is even more eventful.

Rafting on the River

After all the morning activities, everyone will be given life jackets and loaded onto a makeshift raft, where the rafting begins. But calling it “rafting” might be a stretch because the raft is actually tied to the organizers’ boat—meaning they steer it, while you just lazily float along.

Still, it’s not bad at all because you can enjoy the gorgeous views, feel like Tom Sawyer (hopefully someone still remembers that literary hero), and create a fantastic photo report to share with friends and family.

Hot Radon Springs

The first stop on the second day is at the radon springs, where you can soak and absorb some radon into your body (just don’t overdo it). According to recommendations, you shouldn’t stay in the radon pool for more than 30 minutes, but since the concentration of radon here is tiny, nobody will mind if you exceed that limit.

The pools have different temperatures, from hot or warm to quite cool. In other words, something for every preference, even the most peculiar…

Tea Tasting

We won’t dwell on this stop for too long—it’s basically a shopping trip. Tourists are brought to a tea store for 20–30 minutes, where you can taste (for free) and then purchase any tea you like.

Traditional Thai Medicine Pharmacy

Despite some travelers’ skepticism, it’s precisely for this pharmacy that many tourists go on the excursion again. Many of the medicines in their assortment have no counterparts anywhere else, and there are even legends about their healing properties. Of course, some of it might just be marketing hype, but there are indeed some genuinely interesting remedies. Nobody forces you to buy anything, but it’s worth a look.

By the way, prices here are quite steep.

Sai Yok Waterfall

The next stop is Sai Yok Waterfall, which in the high (dry) season isn’t particularly scenic because it tends to dry up. You should visit during the rainy season or right after it ends, as that’s when it really shines.

Next to the waterfall is an old locomotive from World War II; it won’t take you long to check it out.

Some versions of the River Kwai tour include visiting the famous bridge over the river and the Hellfire Pass. These are heavy places, atmospherically speaking, as many people died there.

Elephant Show and Rides

The next-to-last stop is the elephant farm, where you can ride and bathe with these trunked creatures. Bathing with elephants costs 800 baht per person, which is quite high (in other places, it’s 300–400 baht).

The show plus bathing together won’t take more than 1.5 hours.

The show itself is fairly standard, demonstrating various acrobatic and playful tricks with the animals, and the highlight of the program is a careful elephant strolling past lying tourists without stepping on them.

We recommend arranging a English-speaking guide in the group before purchasing the tour; otherwise, you may face communication challenges.

For those who want a photo of themselves sitting on an elephant, we suggest not paying for the separate framed photo. Instead, tip your mahout 50–100 baht, and he’ll be happy to take several photos with your own camera.

Feeding the Monkeys

The trip to the River Kwai ends with a visit to the Monkey Temple, which includes a special park filled with fed monkeys.

Even though they may look docile, that’s far from the truth. Monkeys are still wild animals, and they can bite, which is painful and unpleasant, and there’s also a risk of rabies. So be very cautious during feeding time.

We recommend reading guidelines on how to behave around monkeys in Thailand, found in this article.

Overall, you can get some nice photos for your personal collection while feeding the monkeys.

How Much Do the Tours Cost?

How much is a trip to the River Kwai? The answer isn’t as simple as it seems, because the price largely depends on the additional options included in the standard tour.

On average, the River Kwai excursion costs about 2,200 baht per adult and around 1,100 baht for a child. This price assumes a typical placement in a standard room. Even with such an option, you can have a great time.

Besides paying for the tour itself, you’ll need money during the excursion to buy souvenirs and pay for any additional services (like bathing with elephants, etc.).

What Are the Restrictions on Visiting This Excursion?

There aren’t any special restrictions for this excursion because almost any tourist can handle these conditions (if you managed the flight here, you can handle the trip to the River Kwai).

Your guide may divide the tourists into three subgroups (if there are enough people), which are:

1. Comfort.
2. Standard.
3. Extreme.

They place travelers in each subgroup based on their physical fitness and self-assessment of their capabilities. Keep in mind that, above all, this is a tourism experience, so you won’t encounter anything overly extreme.

What Should You Bring to the River Kwai?

Naturally, there are several recommendations for what to take on this excursion, including:

• arrange a takeaway breakfast at the hotel (because the early departure means breakfast on the road is not included in the excursion program);
• buy water, as you may need it, especially in the first few hours;
• bring warm clothes for the overnight stay (it can be chilly in the hotel);
• a camera;
• insect repellent (as mentioned earlier, there are many blood-sucking insects in the hotel, and any bite could lead to fever, so it’s best not to risk it);
• sunscreen;
• swimwear;
• toiletries;
• a change of clothes (no need to take a ton; one spare set is usually enough);
• documents (passport and a copy, insurance, hotel voucher).

So, the excursion to the River Kwai from Pattaya is the best among all those offered on the excursion market—thousands of tourists leaving rave reviews can’t be wrong.

Don’t forget to share your travel impressions in the comments; they’re important for those who still haven’t decided where to spend their vacation.