Tiger Temple

Did you ever come across a Discovery Channel documentary featuring a tiger temple in Thailand? If you do, it is in Kachanaburi; just another 50km or so from the River Kwai bridge.

It is a remarkable story of a monk who started an orphanage for baby tigers whose parents were poached. His love & care for the animals gained international fame and became another example of amazing Thailand! Where else can such a story come about in real life!

Tourists don't come to visit the temple.. they flock here to see the tigers in open and free setting!

The monk who started raising the tigers more than a decade ago. There are close to 20 adult tigers now!
















Each day at 3.30pm, the tigers are lead to a canyon and set free unchained!
















Where tourists took turn to pose with the tigers! Imagine a live tiger on your lap like that? Tame like a kitten!
















It is hard to take your eyes off with the big cat that close!
















Scary when they turn around to face you!
















Walking the last tiger back to their cage





















Lay your hand on the tiger's back.. we were told. It seem to assure them!





















It is also a sanctuary for other animals, feeding time at 5pm
















Quite an experience I must say... it's definitely worth a visit!

River Kwai & the Death Railway

The infamous Death Railway over River Kwai is a much visited place of interest in Kachanaburi. Though it do not mean much to the post-war generation like myself. Only a visit to the War Museum here bring home a lesson of war time sufferings by POWs and atrocities of the Japanese conquerors!

It was built by Japanese at the expense of more than 100,000 lives for logistics supply through Burma in their campaign bid to take India. It was bombed repeatedly by the Allied forces and put out of action towards the end of WWII.

An open park sits at the river bank of the rail bridge, a far cry from an isolated & deserted spot during my first visit in the mid 70's.
















These days, the railway only carries tourist traffic!
















The bomb reminds of Allied bombing raids to cut off the Japanese supply lines.
















There are a host of leisure activities around that includes river cruise & rafting.
















The War Memorial Cemetery is still visited by many veterans & families of deceased POWs.





































A lone gardener tending the cemetary grounds.
















So many POWs were fresh young troops just arrived before the fall of Malaya & Singapore, taken and lost their lives here!