Sangkhlaburi’s remote location, high in the mountains near the Thailand-Myanmar border, offers visitors the chance to experience rugged natural beauty alongside friendly, welcoming local culture. The border is a strong influence throughout the town: the Karen and Mon hill tribes have a large presence here, and volunteer opportunities among the local Burmese refugee populations attract a number of foreigners. Most visitors from Bangkok, though, make the day-long journey to Sangkhlaburi for the terrific trekking opportunities in the surrounding mountains and national parks. Those interested in a border crossing are advised to plan ahead, as on-and-off strife results in frequent and unpredictable border closures.
Public transportation from Sangkhlaburi only runs to Kanchanaburi, sometimes with a transfer in Thong Pha Phum; ask before you depart. There are two bus stations both located on the main road north of the market. The main station sits next to the post office west of the main market road, red local buses leave from here (4-5hr., 4 per day 6:45am-1:15pm, 100-150฿). The second station located at the east end of the main market road, has A/C buses and A/C vans (3-4hr., 8 per day 6:30am-3:30pm, 140-200฿). Bus travel times and frequency between Sangkhlaburi and Kanchanaburi can be very unpredictable, as the stretch of road between Sangkhlaburi and Thong Pha Phum is notorious for slow uphill progress and causes frequent engine trouble. Ask about schedules in either bus station the day before you leave. Transportation also runs to the Three Pagoda Pass by songthaew (30min., every 40min. 6am-6pm, 30-35฿) that depart across the street from the post office. Motorcycle taxis congregate near the main local bus station, ready to take visitors to guesthouses (10-20฿) or Wat Wang Wiwekaram (50฿). Because Sangkhlaburi is not especially touristed, foreigners are generally not overcharged.
An indoor-outdoor market bustles at the town’s center and is open all day and night. The main market road, with a bus station at either end and the JA Internet Cafe in the middle, is directly on the market’s north side. Most buses will let you off in the middle of this road. The bank is on the south side of the market, the post office on the west, and the entire area is dotted with convenience stores. To reach the guesthouses, go west on the main market road (toward the buses’ parking area) and turn left toward the post office. Once on this road, follow the signs for any of the guesthouses. In order, you’ll pass the Burmese Inn, Birdland, and finally the P. Guest House. To get to the wooden bridge from the town center, walk down the road toward the guesthouses, turn right at the first paved intersection and follow the sign for the Burmese Inn. Once past the Inn, you can’t miss the bridge.
Other services include: Siam Commercial Bank (opposite the market, and the last opportunity to get cash before crossing the border into Myanmar) which has currency exchange and an ATM —if it is out of order, go inside and the bank will manually withdraw cash for you (☎034 595 263; open M-F 8:30am-3:30pm); the police station, in the small park opposite the east side of the market (☎595 300; open 24hr.; very little English spoken), the hospital, located two blocks southwest of the market (☎034 595 058; open 24hr.); and Internet access at JA Computer, on the market’s north side (25฿ per hr.; open daily 9am-8pm). Bicycles (70฿ per day) and motorbikes (200฿ per day) can be rented at the P. Guest House. The post office, 25m south of the regular bus stop (☎034 595 115; open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm, Sa 9am-noon), has an international telephone booth outside. Postal Code: 71240.
Many visitors find more to do in the region surrounding Sangkhlaburi than in the town itself. The longest wooden bridge in Thailand, the 400m bridge of the Reverend Auttamo, crosses the massive Lake Khao Laem and connects the city of Sangkhlaburi to the Mon Village. The villagers built this bridge in 1984 after the dam project that created Lake Khao Laem cut them off from the town. The bridge collapsed in 1993, was promptly rebuilt, and has recently been restored. The Mon Village itself, not just a tourist attraction but a functioning town, offers travelers a taste of Burmese culture: vendors sell Mon curries in addition to the same range of wooden handicrafts, jade, and fabrics available at the nearby border markets, and villagers wear sarongs and face chalk typical of Myanmar. Although they do not possess Thai citizenship, the Mon people are not quite refugees, as they live under the protection of the Thai government. The elderly, revered spirit Luang Phaw Utama is believed to watch over them, and attracts Chinese and Thai visitors with offerings in tribute to his supposed healing powers. To get to his temple, Wat Wang Wiwekaram, also known as Wat Mon, walk uphill from the bridge to until you reach a T intersection. Turn left, follow the winding road, and take a left at the next stop sign. The red-and-gold Wat Wang Wiwekaram sits at the end of the road opposite a handicrafts market, 4km from Sangkhlaburi (30min. walk from wooden bridge; suggested donation 20฿). The wooden bridge is open only to pedestrian traffic, so if traveling by motorbike, head to the highway, turn left, and follow the road over the commuter bridge. At the police box turn left (right heads to Huay Malai village) and take another left in 2.5km at the stop sign. Each year during the first week of March, the wat hosts a spectacular five-day festival in honor of Utama’s birthday. It features traditional dance performances, fireworks, and a night market.
During the dry season from November to May, locals swim and raft at Ban Songkaria, a river 10km from town. Take a songthaew (20฿) toward Three Pagoda Pass and tell the driver where you want to get off. If driving, stop at the first and only bridge on the way to the Pass. There are food stalls and inner tube rentals on site.
The Burmese Inn books 1hr. boat trips on scenic Lake Khao Laem that survey the wooden bridge, the top of the submerged Old Sangkhlaburi Temple, and the cliffs at the lake’s southern end (1-3 people 400฿, 4-5 people 500฿, large groups 100฿ per person). The Burmese Inn and the P. Guest House also arrange multiple-day trekking trips to Thung Yai Sanctuary Park and nearby hill-tribe villages.
Venturing a few kilometers away from Sangkhlaburi, while somewhat of a transportation challenge, is well worth it, yielding a combination of natural beauty, history, and culture
Three Pagoda Pass. Three Pagoda Pass has been a point of strategic importance on Thailand-Myanmar trade routes for hundreds of years. The Death Railway crossed into Myanmar at this point during World War II. After the war, the railway was dismantled, but strife continued: control of the profitable border crossing flip-flopped between the Karen and Mon liberation armies, both resisting the Myanmar government. Heavy fighting between the Karen and the Mon broke out in the late 1980s. The Myanmar regime took advantage of the strife to seize control of the pass in 1989, and has maintained control ever since. Although the three squat pagodas are unremarkable and not worth the trip on their own, both sides of the border feature markets that offer high-quality teak products, jade, and fabrics at some of the best prices in the region. Daytrips into Phayathonzu are possible, but travelers are not permitted to go more than 1km into Myanmar. Check for reports of border skirmishes before you go, as the area occasionally undergoes periods of instability.The best way to visit Three Pagoda Pass is to combine browsing in the market with a short hike to the nearby Sawan Badan temple and cave. The turnoff, a dirt road on the right, is located 4km before the border. If traveling by songthaew, you can either get off at the border and walk the 3km back, or disembark directly at the turnoff and skip the Pass altogether. Once on the dirt road, follow it for 700m and turn right at the sign marked with flags. A 0.5km walk through a grove of rubber trees will bring you to the temple. The cave is located inside the complex and is closed during the wet season. Bring your own flashlight and enter at your own risk. To get back to town, walk back to the main road and flag down a passing songthaew or motorcycle taxi. (To reach the pass, follow the highway toward Kanchanaburi for about 4km, passing several immense Buddha statues, then take the left turn-off for the Chedi Sam Ong border gate. This road leads all the way to Three Pagoda Pass. Songthaew travel the 22km stretch from Sangkhlaburi to Three Pagoda Pass from 6am to 6pm (30min., 30-35฿), departing from Sanghklaburi beside the post office. Border open daily 6am-6pm, depending on current political situation.)
Thung Yai Sanctuary Park. Due to poaching, the elephants, tigers, tapirs, bears, gibbons, and peacocks that inhabit Thung Yai Sanctuary Park, Thailand’s largest conservation area, have retreated deep into the forest. Many visitors make the trip into the park to see the Karen villages within its borders, which are easier to find than the animals. Most areas are accessible only by 4WD vehicles, even during the dry season. Takian Thong Waterfall in Thung Yai Sanctuary Park is an exception, with fully paved road access. The waterfalls, more accurately described as a river cascade, are a 20min. walk from the park office through dense jungle. Sign in at the park office before beginning the trip. In the rainy season, reaching the falls is often difficult and sometimes impossible. In the dry season, a 30min. walk upriver from the falls leads to bigger ponds for swimming. Ask at the Burmese Inn or the P. Guest House (see Accommodations) about accessibility, road conditions, and possible jeep rental to other parts of the sanctuary. (The well-marked turn-off to Thung Yai Sanctuary Park and Takian Thong Waterfall is 18km from Sangkhlaburi along the road to Three Pagoda Pass. This road leads 9km to the park’s forestry office. Entrance 200฿. Park open daily 8am-6pm.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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