Before 1942, the village of Khao Fachi was where the La-un community is now located. The banks of the La-un canal were rich with mangrove forest and the Royal Highway Petchkasem no. 4 ended at the La-un canal. There was no bridge to cross the canal and Ranong City had to be reached by boat.
On December 8th 1941, the Japanese army landed at Pak Nam Chumpon. The Japanese moved quickly and had captured Victoria Point in Burma by the end of December 1941. Because of the difficult terrain, with narrow and steep winding paths, it was not easy to move troops and supplies and heavy weapons could not be transported along this route. Therefore, the idea of constructing a railway parallel to highway no. 4 was hatched.
After landing at Chumpon the Japanese forces looked for a suitable place to set up their headquarters. They established Khao Fachi village (the present Bang Kaeo community) as their military headquarters. This became an important base of a number of bases set up along the Andaman coast. The position was important because troops and supplies could be moved by land, sea and air to strengthen their hold on the region.
The headquarters was established at the top of a hill, at a height of 259 metres. This gave the soldiers a commanding view over the surrounding countryside and from here they were able to observe enemy movements on land, sea and air. The Kraburi, River the La-un canal and the Kema Yai and Maliwan canals in Burma could all be seen from this vantage point.
Anti aircraft guns were situated around the garrison and were used when allied aircraft from Burma bombed and attacked the base with machine guns. For protection the Japanese surrounded the base with air raid shelters and trenches. Camouflaged accommodation for the commissioned and non-commissioned officers was situated in the valley. The camp also had its own water storage systemand a well. The soldier’s quarters were at the foot of the hill.
The complex also included a hospital, kitchens and dining halls, and a railway station. This railway station was the most southern of the military stations. The double railway track allowed the wood-fuelled steam locomotives to make a U-turn and return north.
Surveying of the railway route began on May 16th 1943. The line ran parallel to the Chumpon-Kra Buri highway to the La-un canal some 90 km away. On May 31 1943 an agreement was signed, between the Thai Supreme Commander and the Commander of the Japanese Army, for the construction of a railway across the Kra Isthmus.
The shortage of labor was a major problem because the majority of Thai villagers were employed in other areas of the war. No heavy earth moving equipment was available and the excavation relied heavily upon manual labor provided by Malaysian and Chinese workers. Thai carpenters were used for the construction of the wooden bridges.
Work on the railway commenced in June 1943 and the rails had been laid by November 1943. Prisoners of war and laborers were brought by train from Chumpon Railway Station. They were then marched a long distance to the construction sites. Many of these workers died from disease. Some of the prisoners escaped to Petchaburi and survived by begging for food from villagers on the way. Prisoners that were recaptured by the Japanese were treated very harshly and returned to prison.
Railway sleepers and bridges were made from wood and in total 31 bridges were constructed along the route. The track gauge was 56.5 inches, the same as in Malaysia. The rails themselves were brought from Kalantan in Malasia and were transported to the construction sites on freight wagons. The radius of the curves varied between 400 and 1,000 metres. On the entire route there were 137 curves, and 8 cuttings were driven through the landscape. The railway began south of Chumpon and along the length of the railway were six more stations before the tracks ended at Khao Fachi.
On reaching Khao Fachi the goods were unloaded and transferred to boats for further transport along the La-un canal to the River Kra Buri and hence on to Victoria Point. The Japanese used the railway for just 11 months. Heavy use of the track ceased when, on March 19th 1945, heavy allied bombers attacked the railway and the base at Khao Fachi. Severe damage was caused, destroying part of the track, and sinking boats and supply ships on the La-un canal.
In June 1945, the Japanese dismantled a part of the track, between 28 and 30 km from Khao Fachi quay. The sections were used to repair the damaged track further south. Attempts were made to keep the railway open, but further allied air attacks meant that it could no longer be used for transporting heavy weapons. Only food and light equipment could be moved along it to the soldiers at Victoria Point.
The Japanese surrendered on 10th August 1945 and their army was disarmed. British soldiers dismantled the railway and the rails were returned to Kalantan, Malasia.
Today, only traces from the path of the railway can be seen running alongside the Petchkasem Highway. Although the railway had been built and used throughout the war, only a very few Thai people know of its existence. 65 years after the Japanese occupation and the building of the railway, very few are aware that at one time Khao Fachi was crowded with Japanese soldiers and prisoners of war.
Now, the remains of guns, ammunition, mortar bombs, as well as of the tunnels, trenches and underground shelters are hidden evidence bearing testimony to the existence of the WWII Military Base. As for the railway, there are overgrown paths, rusty tracks, decaying sleepers, and sadly, the remains of those who died.
