Major city · Thailand
Sangkhla Buriสังขละบุรี
Go for 2 nights if you want the Mon Bridge and a floating raft house; skip if you only have a day — it is 5–6 h from Kanchanaburi each way.
Sangkhla Buri is a small border town in northwest Kanchanaburi Province, on the huge Khao Laem Reservoir and close to Myanmar. Its draw is the 400 m wooden Mon Bridge, the Mon village of Wangka across it, and the golden chedi above the lake. It is popular with Thais for weekend raft-house stays and remains quiet for foreign travellers. Two nights is the working minimum: the road in is long and the light over the reservoir is the point.
More ways in
Local time, weather, currency, airports
- Weather
- see forecast
- Currency
- THB
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- avoid Mar–Apr (hot, smoky), Sep–Oct (wet; the Sunken Temple is only partly visible)
- Airports
- BKK · DMK
- Nights
- 2
Rules in force · 6Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Thailand ↗Check entry rules and any arrival card on the official Thai government sites for your passport; visa-exempt stays and pre-arrival forms change.
- Thailand ↗Do not criticise or mock the monarchy: insulting the royal family is a criminal offence.
- Thailand ↗Temples and palaces: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering halls.
- Thailand ↗E-cigarettes and vapes are illegal to import or use; do not pack them.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾
In this guide
Not in this guide yet
- Walking areas with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
- Field-checked times and prices
Official sites
Emergency numbers for Sangkhla Buri191 ▾
Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.
EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost
Essentials
Quick answers and what things cost
Quick answers
The questions people ask first about Sangkhla Buri, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.
- Cash or card?Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿).Thailand-wide
- SIM or eSIMAIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.Thailand-wide
- Tap waterNot drinkable from the tap.Thailand-wide
- TippingSit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 (≈ US$1–4) or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.Thailand-wide
- Plugs & powerSockets A/B/C/O. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 220 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Thailand-wide
- SafetyLow-crime and calm; the real risks are the long, winding road in, unlit streets after dark, and the border area…
Show all 12 answers
- RestroomsWestern toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops.Thailand-wide
- Emergency numbers191 police · 1669 ambulance and rescue · 1155 tourist police (english) (not 911, 999 or 000)
- Sundays & holidaysMany Bangkok street-food vendors stay off the main roads on Mondays (street-cleaning day in several districts)…Thailand-wide
- Your embassyFind your embassy's 24-hour line before you fly.
- AirportBKK Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) (No airport at Sangkhla Buri; bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit takes 7–8 h via Kanchanaburi.).
- Getting aroundThe town is walkable; motorbike taxis run short hops for around ฿15–20 (≈ under US$1).
Cost cheat-sheet
Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.
- Street or quick mealThai noodle or rice dish at a market stall฿25–60 (≈ US$1–2)
- BeerLarge Chang beer from a supermarketabout ฿42 (≈ US$2)
- Budget bedFan double, private bath, a night, per room฿400 (≈ US$13)
- Mid-range bedFan double, private bath, a night, per room฿700 (≈ US$25)
- High-end bedFan double, private bath, a night, per room฿1,000 (≈ US$35)
A day, not counting the bed: Budget ฿900 (≈ US$30) · Mid ฿1,800 (≈ US$60) · High ฿3,500 (≈ US$110)
Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works
Decide
What it is known for, and when the weather works
At a glance
What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.
- Airports
- BKK Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) (No airport at Sangkhla Buri; bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit takes 7–8 h via Kanchanaburi.) · DMK Don Mueang (Bangkok) (Same road route; reach Mo Chit by taxi or the BTS/MRT.)
Best months at a glance
From the guide's best and avoid lists
Jan
Best
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Feb
Best
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
Mar
Avoid
36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)
Apr
Avoid
37°C (99°F)99°F (37°C)
May
not flagged
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
Jun
not flagged
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Jul
not flagged
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Aug
not flagged
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Sep
Avoid
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Oct
Avoid
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Nov
Best
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
Dec
Best
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
Best: Nov–Feb. Avoid: Mar–Apr, Sep–Oct. Month by month →
Warmest Apr (37°C (99°F)99°F (37°C)), coolest Jan (18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C) low), wettest Jul (22 rain days), driest Jan (1). Averages, not a forecast.
Weather and climate
Sangkhla Buri: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Jan
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
1 rd
Feb
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C)
2 rd
Mar
36°C (97°F)97°F (36°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
3 rd
Apr
37°C (99°F)99°F (37°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
6 rd
May
34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
16 rd
Jun
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C)
20 rd
Jul
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
22 rd
Aug
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
22 rd
Sep
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
20 rd
Oct
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C)
14 rd
Nov
32°C (90°F)90°F (32°C)
21°C (70°F)70°F (21°C)
5 rd
Dec
31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C)
18°C (64°F)64°F (18°C)
2 rd
High / low, both scales · rd = rain days
Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Arrive & move
Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in
Getting around
The town is walkable; motorbike taxis run short hops for around ฿15–20. Green pickups leave the bus station hourly for Three Pagodas Pass, about ฿50 for the 30–40 min ride. Motorbikes and bicycles can be rented locally; a songthaew by the day is the practical option for a group visiting the cave and the pass.
Nearest full guides
Straight-line distance, not travel time
See & doDay-trips, door to door
See & do
Day-trips, door to door
Day-trips
Three Pagodas Pass and the border market
goDoor to door: 30–40 min each way
Green pickup from the bus station, hourly, about ฿50 (≈ US$2)
Crossing to Payathonzu on the Myanmar side depends on the border being open — check on the day.
Sawanbandan Cave
cautionDoor to door: About 1 h
Side road off the pass road; easiest by hired songthaew
Needs a vehicle and a guide; not a solo walk.
Door to door: 3–5 h
Bus or minibus from the bus station
Too far for a return day; this is the way in and out.
Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in
Eat & sleep
Which area to sleep in
Where to sleep
Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.
Town centre near the bus station
Guesthouses, market food and motorbike taxis; 10–15 min walk or a short ride to the bridge.
Riverside south of the post office
Guesthouses and resorts along the water toward the bridge; quieter, more views, a bit further from the bus.
Wangka (Mon village) side
Across the bridge; Mon-speaking community, no public drinking of alcohol — treat that rule as firm.
PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Practical
What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card
Cost per day
- Budget
- ฿700–1,200 (≈ US$25–40) excl. bed
- Mid
- ฿1,200–2,500 (≈ US$40–80) excl. bed
- High
- ฿2,500 (≈ US$80)+ excl. bed
Trip budget
| Air-con double, en suite1 × 2 nights × ฿1,300 | ฿2,600 |
| Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × ฿1,800 | ฿7,200 |
| Motorbike taxi, town to the bridge2 × ฿20 | ฿40 |
| Green pickup to Three Pagodas Pass, one way2 × ฿50 | ฿100 |
| Boat to the Sunken Temple1 × ฿500 | ฿500 |
| eSIM, about a week of data2 × ฿300 | ฿600 |
| Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge | ฿1,104 |
| Trip total≈ ฿3,036 per person per day, bed included | ฿12,144≈ US$400 |
2026 estimate in baht; long-distance transport excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.
Prices of common things
| Thai noodle or rice dish at a market stall | ฿25–60 (≈ US$1–2) |
| Large Chang beer from a supermarket | about ฿42 (≈ US$2) |
| Bottle of Kanchanaburi wine | from ฿260 (≈ US$8) |
| Guesthouse double, fan | ฿250–800 (≈ US$8–25) |
| Air-con resort double | ฿1,000–1,200 (≈ US$35–40) |
| Internet use at a guesthouse | about ฿40 (≈ US$2)/hour |
2026 estimate; check locally.
Watch out
Safety
- The last bus to Bangkok leaves the bus station around 13:30 and the last to Kanchanaburi around 16:00 — plan the return before you arrive.The last bus to Bangkok leaves the bus station around 1:30 PM and the last to Kanchanaburi around 4:00 PM — plan the return before you arrive.
- Do not drink alcohol in public in Wangka; it is a Mon community and the rule is taken seriously.
- Tap water may come from the reservoir — drink bottled.
- The border at Three Pagodas Pass opens and closes without much notice; check before you ride out.
- Fuel near the border is more expensive; fill up in town.
Emergency numbers
- Police
- 191
- Ambulance and rescue
- 1669
- Tourist police (English)
- 1155
Pocket card
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Sangkhla Buriสังขละบุรี
Pocket card · Voykit
My bed tonight
—
—
—
ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้To this address, please
Emergency
- Police191
- Ambulance and rescue1669
- Tourist police (English)1155
Embassy
No embassies in Sangkhla Buri; the nearest consular help is in Bangkok. Carry a photo of your passport page.
My embassy: —
Fare anchors (2026 estimate)
- Bus Sangkhla Buri → Kanchanaburi, air-con: about ฿180 (≈ US$6), 4.5 h
- Bus Sangkhla Buri → Kanchanaburi, non-air-con: about ฿110 (≈ US$4), 5 h
- Minibus Sangkhla Buri → Kanchanaburi: about ฿146 (≈ US$5), 3 h; not every scheduled departure runs
- Green pickup to Three Pagodas Pass: about ฿50 (≈ US$2), 30–40 min
Say or show
- สวัสดี — Hello (sawatdee)
- ขอบคุณ — Thank you (khop khun)
- ဒါန်ဂုန် — Thank you (Mon) (dangoon)
- เท่าไหร่ — How much is it? (tao rai)
- สะพานอยู่ที่ไหน — Where is the bridge? (saphan yu thi nai)
- ไม่เผ็ด — Not spicy, please (mai phet)
Wangka is a Mon community: no public drinking of alcohol, and dress modestly at the wats.
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources
Deep dive
What this guide covers so far, and its sources
Not a trip line yet
This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Sangkhla Buri. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.
What we know, and what is coming
On this page
- Best months: Nov–Feb · avoid Mar–Apr (hot, smoky), Sep–Oct (wet; the Sunken Temple is only partly visible) · month by month →
- 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
- Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
- Cost per day in 3 bands
- 3 day-trips, door to door
- 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers
Coming as the guide grows
- An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
- Walking clusters with bag rules
- Day plans checked against opening hours
- Field-verified times and fares