By train through Thailand's West | DW Documentary

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Winding rivers. Countless canals. A rushing waterfall. Elephants come here to bathe, while local people build their houses on stilts: Water, the elixir of life, is everywhere in western Thailand. And the railroad follows its course.

The canals that criss-cross Thailand are known as ‘khlongs’. Trains in the region often travel across water - as well as over the bridge on the River Kwai that became world-famous thanks to a feature film.

This journey begins in Mae Klong on the Gulf of Thailand. Here, the train passes through a market that takes place right on the tracks. Whenever a train approaches, vendors clear their stalls in a matter of seconds. From here, the route alternates between barren salt fields and lush tropical nature. People have been using the seawater to extract salt for centuries.

The train runs northwest from Bangkok on a route known as the ‘Death Railway’. The Japanese army had it built by prisoners of war and forced laborers during the Second World War. Less than a third of it is still intact. In addition to the memorial at Hellfire Pass, researchers and a Buddhist abbot ensure that this episode of world history is not forgotten.

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