Hellfire Pass : Exploring the Thailand - Burma Railway

[@stever1053]

I visited Hellfire pass in 2017, it was a dull rainy day with no tourists around, I walked alone from the visitor centre to the far end of Hellfire pass and it was quite spooky as I never saw another soul in the whole return trip. I really want to go there again and walk further beyond the pass. Fortunately my driver was still waiting at the visitor centre. Thanks for the video.

[@exploretbr]

Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Hope you can make it back and walk a bit further down the trail. The massive embankment, and Hintok cutting just beyond, are definitely worth a look. Good luck!

[@gunnerman2452]

I was there at Hellfire Pass on the 12th November 2019 a day after Remembrance Day in the UK. Being a veteran I laid a poppy wreath on behalf of the Dunoon Veterans Club. It was one of the most somber places I have ever visited. I salute the men of all the nationalities who went through the pain and hardship on this railroad.

[@exploretbr]

Thanks for your comment. Yes, its a very sobering place, but now after nearly 80 years have passed it's also very beautiful, and tranquil. If you're interested in exploring more of the railway, check out the other videos on this channel. Thanks for watching!

[@jeremyt2374]

Hi Kevin, great video. I was at Hellfire Pass in 2004 at the Anzac day dawn service, where 3 ex POW's gave a very moving speech. This cutting was started on Anzac day (25 Apr) so it was appropriate to hold the commemorations on this day. They spoke of the horror and cruelty they were exposed to at this site, as well as the many deaths that occurred at this site. It was a 24 hour operation as the railway was behind schedule, and so that is why it became the hellfire Pass as you said in the video. Thanks again, and greetings from NZ. Jeremy

[@exploretbr]

Thanks for the comment Jeremy. You may be interested in my other video "Kannyu", which continues westwards from the Hellfire Pass section of the railway. Or my other videos, covering various sections between Kanchanaburi and the Burmese border. Thanks for watching!

[@johntait491]

A very well made and informative video. Thank you. 👍

[@exploretbr]

Thank you again for your interest and kind comment. I appreciate it.

[@Leo-der-zweite]

I did the first part of this trail some years ago, unfortunately without the knowledge that you provide in your video

[@exploretbr]

Thanks for your comment. I hope you can return one day.

[@nagarajansridhar7457]

The best coverage. Disappointed that you couldn't go uptp compressor cutting.

[@exploretbr]

Have a look at the Kannyu video on my channel. It includes compressor cutting. Thanks for your interest, and your comment.

[@dentomkoi2104]

thank you for your interesting video , I have a few question about railway in your explain in this video ,does it mean that highest point of railway in tampi nowday is located on the highway 323 ? -Did any remaining of tampi station could be found nowday ? i found a photo of this staion that taken shortly after the war end by allies . -IS "S curved" pathway acending from Tongchang to Tampi is the same pathway of highway 323 ? -Where did your find source of information about the railway construction and pathway or recommend book for explore this remianing railway , i found almost the book about thai-burma is mainly about POWs .

[@exploretbr]

Hello, and thanks for watching! The highest point is the pass between two hills, near Hwy 323. I'll cover Tonchan & Tampii in another video. I got my information from various maps, a lot of looking at Google maps and also exploring on the ground in Thailand. You're right - there is no book about finding the railway now. That's why I'm making these videos. Thanks again.

[@telegraphdude6823]

My wife and I hiked here at the end of 2020. We were lucky because they had recently re-opened the trail after being closed for several months, I think due to rock slides. We hiked to around the 7 Meter Embankment. Are there any videos exploring the Burma side of the railway ?

[@exploretbr]

Thanks for your interest, and leaving a comment. There are no videos on the Burmese side. I hope to travel into Burma and explore that end, but it looks like that is not currently feasible.

[@swimcoachasia4978]

Wonderful work Kevin. My Grandfather was in vicinity with the 2/10th Field Regiment. Do you have any historic footage of the Pass?

[@exploretbr]

Thank you for watching, and the kind comment. I don’t have any footage from during the war. I think Japanese Army photographers documented the construction of the railway with photos and some motion pictures, and similarly the Allied War Graves commission documented their work in the months following the war. The following video was made with their footage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g16saol_bNpnj5Y. Thanks again for your interest.

[@edwardtasi2905]

Those poor souls,god bless them

[@exploretbr]

Yes, definitely. Thanks for watching.

[@nagarajansridhar7457]

i have seen the kannyu video too. but what about the area between compressor cutting and Hintok road? any chance?

[@exploretbr]

There is a barrier at Hintok road to prevent people from going any further. But as far as I know there is no barrier coming in from the direction of Compressor Cutting. Thanks for watching, and leaving a comment.

[@kyawminmin2011]

death railway myanmar How many river crossings are there in total?

[@exploretbr]

I really don’t know. It would be difficult to find this.

[@JDTHOMAS-uh5bn]

@@exploretbr Although there were about 300 'bridges' the ONLY crossing of the Kwae Noi River is at Thamarkam the existing iron bridge. The other bridges cross ravines and a few canals. On the Burma side there are a number of large bridges that cross small rivers that run in the valleys between the mountains that run north-south crossing the trace of the railway.

[@exploretbr]

The Tamarkan bridge actually crosses the Kwai Yai. Even on the Thai side there were a number of major river bridges. Nikke (Ranti river) and Songkurai (Songkalia river) for example. Plus many river-sized tributaries into the Kwai Noi (such as at Takanun). Plus many streams of various sizes (Tarso and Kinsaiyok for example). And it would be very difficult to say with certainty how many lie under the current lake. Hence my original reply.

[@inpoeluanga9586]

How come I didn't see and hear anyone mention about the indians( Malaysians ) and the locals labourers , but Europeans and Australian s only.

[@exploretbr]

Thanks for your interest. This channel is focused mainly on finding and exploring what remains of the railway. It is not a historical account of the construction. But most of the historical accounts I have read do discuss the horrific conditions of the Asian laborers.

[@Angusmum]

You’re right. I think that maybe the Malaysians aren’t mentioned because the men who worked on the Thai Burma Death Railway are podcasting their own story so that the listener is confident that the related experiences are their very own. My father was a British prisoner of war and held in four camps in Thailand. I can assure you that he did speak to us,his family, of the Malaysian workers of the Death Railway. There’s a language translation barrier in podcasts from foreigners so I would be interested in hearing of the translated Thai, Indian and Malay prisoner experiences of the Railway. I have listened to a few already. One that really moved me relates to the Liberation of a particular penniless Malaysian prisoner whose government had not provided him a passage home and who, after all he’d suffered, had to make his own way back to his own village hundreds of miles away.