The Bridge Over the River Kwai
The River Kwai, Kanchanaburi, Thailand
DAY DATE OVERNIGHT HOTELS MEALS HIGHLIGHTS 12 SINGAPORE Yotel Meet & assist on arrival 1 Jul Orchard Rd. Group coach transfer to hotel 13 SINGAPORE Yotel Full day Singapore city tour: Little India. 2 B Jul Orchard Rd. Botanical Gardens. Chinatown, etc. 14 Yotel B Full day Battle of Singapore tour: 3 SINGAPORE Jul Orchard Rd. Kranji, Bukit Batok, Ford Factory, Changi 15 Yotel B Full day Defences of Singapore tour: 4 SINGAPORE Jul Orchard Rd. Mt Faber. Sentosa Isl. Fort Siloso. Battlebox 16 BANGKOK River Suraya B Transfer. Fly Bangkok. Transfer. Half day tour: 5 Jul Bangkok Jim Thompson’s House 17 River Suraya BL Full day Bangkok city tour: Royal Palace, Wat 6 BANGKOK Jul Bangkok Phra Kaeo, Pho & Arun. Floating Market 18 Tamarind B Transfer. Fly Sukhothai. Drive Chiang Mai 7 CHIANG MAI Jul Village Visit Sukhothai National Park. Wat Srichum 19 Tamarind B 8 CHIANG MAI Full day Chiang Mai tour: Temple Quarter. Jul Village Museum. Doi Suthep, Wat Phra That Suthep 20 The Legend BL Drive Chiang Rai. Half day Chiang Rai tour: 9 CHIANG RAI Jul Chiang Rai Wat Phra Kaeo. Hill Tribe Village 21 The Legend BL Full day Chiang Rai tour: Mae Chan. Boat trip, 10 CHIANG RAI Jul Chiang Rai Opium Museum. Chiang Saen 22 Royal River BLD Fly Bangkok. Drive Kanchanaburi. Visit Nong 11 KANCHANABURI Jul Kwai Resort Pladuk. Death Railway Mus. Allied Cemetery 23 Home BLD Full day River Kwai tour: Chunkai POW Camp, 12 KANCHANABURI Jul Phutoey Death Railway train trip. Hellfire Pass 24 KANCHANABURI Home BLD WWII POW Dedication Ceremony. POW Film 13 Jul Phutoey Dunlop Memorial, Chalker Gallery 25 BANGKOK River Suraya B Drive Bangkok 14 Jul Bangkok Afternoon at leisure 26 FLY B Transfer to the airport for departure flight 15 Jul
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The Bridge Over the River Kwai
INTRODUCTION: On this itinerary we sprinkle the ashes of the last Allied ex-POW soldier to be buried in Thailand, and perhaps the last WWII POW to be publicly buried, anywhere.
BACKGROUND DETAILS: On 7th December 1941 CE, the Japanese landed an army in Malaya, invaded Hong Kong, and attacked the American fleet in Hawaii. For the previous decade, the Japanese military had fought a brutal war in China and the soldiers that invaded Malaya were from the same army responsible for the notorious 'Rape of Nanking', one of history’s most damning brutalities. In contrast, the allied forces were an army of amateurs, mostly conscripts led by untested officers.
BOMBARDIER JACK BRIDGER CHALKER One of the British conscripts was artist Jack Bridger Chalker, a bombardier in the 118 Regiment Royal Field Artillery, Territorials. Captured during the Fall of Singapore in February 1942 CE, Chalker was part of Britain's 'Forgotten Army' which had just suffered the worst military defeat in British history. Along with 60,000 other POWs captured in Singapore, Chalker was taken to Thailand and enslaved to work on the ‘Death Railway’ being constructed across a teak-forested granite mountain range between Thailand and Burma in order to supply the Japanese invasion of India. The Japanese enslaved 160,000 POWs and Malays to build the Death Railway. Just 52,000 survived.
Gunner Chalker spent three and a half years as a POW slaving on the Death Railway. He was in the very worst place (Hellfire Pass) at the very worst time (Speedo period). Commissioned at the risk of his own life by CMO of Nakon Pathom Hospital Camp, Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, to keep a pictorial record of the atrocities and medical techniques used in the camps, my father’s life, and those of the remaining POWs, were saved only by the dropped of the Atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 CE. Immediately after the war, Gunner Chalker was seconded to the ANZAC forces and became one of the official war artists at the Bangkok War Trials. In the 1980s CE, Chalker’s paintings became well-known in the UK, and were soon used as the iconic images of the FEPOW organizations of British, Australian, New Zealand and Dutch armies. His war drawings made him moderately famous among the POW survivors, particularly in ANZAC circles, and Chalker has subsequently featured in more than twenty documentary films on the POW experience, both in the UK and Australia. Later, Chalker became principal of the Falmouth School of Art, then the Royal Western Academy of Art and headed the Bower Ashton School of Art in the UK. Today his paintings hang in the Tate and Portrait Galleries in London and the majority of his wartime illustrations are owned by the Imperial War Museum and the Australian War Memorial. Jack Bridger Chalker, who was born a month before WWI ended in October 1918 CE, died in 2014 CE at the age of 96 years. His son, who is an expedition leader, tour operator and sometime film maker, has made a film of his father’s experiences (which will be shown during the itinerary). He will accompany the group offering an overview of the larger POW experience by sharing his father’s personal anecdotes and experiences.
We also visit the main touristic highlights in Singapore, explore Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, take a train trip on the Death Railway across The Bridge on the River Kwai.
FILMING: PLEASE NOTE: The BBC and independent film makers have expressed interest in filming the Dedication Ceremony, and our trip may feature some filming during the group itinerary. More details of the filming arrangements will be supplied closer to departure. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. SINGAPORE & THAILAND
The Bridge Over the River Kwai
ITINERARY IN DETAIL
Day 01: 12 Jul SINGAPORE Arrive Singapore. Make our own way to hotel from airport Today we arrive in Singapore. On arrival we make our own arrangements to get from the airport to our Singapore hotel. (NOTE: the address and contact details of our hotel is listed in the Joining Instructions document). Any balance of the day is at leisure. English adventurer Stamford Raffles founded colonial Singapore in 1819 CE as a trading post of the British East India Company. After the company's collapse in 1858 CE following the Indian Mutiny, the islands were ceded to the British Raj as a crown colony. During the Second World War, Singapore was occupied by Japan, but reverted back to Britain in 1945 with the Japanese surrender, gaining independence from the UK in 1963 CE by federating with other former British territories to form Malaysia, but separated from Malaysia two years later over ideological differences. Singapore become a sovereign nation in 1965 CE. After early years of turbulence and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its multi-national workforce, and today is one of the world’s most vibrant economies, with the world’s 3rd highest GDP, its politics a heady mix of socialism and capitalism. Overnight (4 star) Yotel Orchard Road (or similar)
Day 02: 13 Jul SINGAPORE Full day tour: Little India. Botanical Gardens. Chinatown, etc. After breakfast we depart on a full day tour of Singapore. We first take an orientation drive round the Civic District, passing by the Padang Cricket Club, historic Parliament House, Supreme Court and City Hall. Next, we stop at Merlion Park and enjoy the impressive views of Marina Bay. We also visit Thian Hock Keng Temple, one of Singapore’s oldest Buddhist-Taoist temples. We then visit the National Orchid Garden located within Singapore Botanic Gardens, which boasts a sprawling display of 60,000 orchid plants. Our final morning visit is to Little India a market region where the scent of joss sticks, jasmine and spices dominates. It is fascinating to glimpse the relationship between Singapore’s successful modern economy and the ancient rituals, traditions and beliefs from which it flows. Little India, with its colorful, crowded and noisy streets that contain much of Singapore’s history. Many can trace their ancestry to when Sir Stamford Raffles (founder of the Raffles hotel and much else of colonial origin on Singapore), arrived in 1819 CE with 120 Indian assistants and soldiers who dwelled in Chinatown. Eventually the growing Indian community migrated into the region now known as Little India which, by the turn of the 19th century was a flourishing business district. It remains so today, with much of its historic traditions intact. In the afternoon we return to the city center and explore Chinatown. Singapore’s Chinatown dates back to 1821 CE when the first Chinese junk carrying immigrants arrived from Fujian province. Much has been reconstructed and the old shop-houses restored. The market area of Chinatown is a maze of stalls, shops, booths and hawkers, and the colors, food smells and bustle are hugely entertaining. After our tour we return to our hotel. Any balance of the day is free. Overnight (4 star) Yotel Orchard Road (or similar) Meal Plan: breakfast
Day 03: 14 Jul SINGAPORE Full day tour: Kranji. Bukit Batok. Ford Factory. Changi Today we depart on a full day Battle of Singapore tour. We first drive to Kranji Memorial (war cemetery) overlooking the Straits of Johore at the north end of Singapore Island. Nearly 4500 Allied service personnel killed during the Fall of Singapore are buried here. It is also the site of the of the Singapore Memorial, which lists over 24,000 names of Allied soldiers killed during Malaya Campaign and retreat who have no known graves. Next, we visit the site of the Bukit Batok Memorial, built by the Japanese using POW labor to commemorate Japan’s war dead, SINGAPORE & THAILAND
The Bridge Over the River Kwai and destroyed by the Japanese prior to their surrender in 1945. However, the imposing stairway still exists, and we pause here briefly before continuing to the Old Ford Factory Museum, the infamous Art Deco site of the allied surrender to the Japanese. We visit the room where the surrender was signed, and roam the Museum, which offers visitors a greater appreciation of the plight of the local civilians at the hands of the Japanese after the surrender. The Japanese, for example, executed over 6000 Chinese civilians in Singapore alone. These were the same Japanese troops who had fought in China, and who were responsible for the ‘Rape of Nanking’, in which something like 45,000 Chinese civilians were raped and murdered by Japanese occupying troops. In the afternoon we visit the Johore Gun Battery where a replica 15” naval gun is situated over the original complex. We then drive to Changi Chapel and Museum, passing Selarang Barracks, one of the POW prisons, en route. Changi was one of the main prisons used by the Japanese to house allied POW’s after their surrender in February 1942 CE. The museum focuses on the allied forces at the time of the surrender and the prison conditions experienced by the POW’s, and has records of all POWs incarcerated in Singapore during the war. After our visit we return to Singapore city, passing the entrance of the original Changi Prison en route. In Singapore we visit the National Art Gallery, site of the Padang and the City Hall, where the Japanese officially surrendered in September 1945. We then return to the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Yotel Orchard Road (or similar) Meal Plan: breakfast
Day 04: 15 Jul SINGAPORE Full day tour: Mt Faber. Sentosa Isl. Fort Siloso. Battlebox This morning we first check out of the hotel and depart on a full day tour of Singapore, focusing on the defenses of Singapore, a major part of Singapore’s strategic importance during WWII. Our first stop is Mount Faber Lookout with its magnificent view across to Sentosa Island. We then take a short walk to the spectacular cable car ride to Sentosa Island, during which we view the harbor entrance (and the vast number of container wharves in the distance), before taking a second cable car ride to the Fort Siloso complex. Here the gun emplacements, tunnel complexes and underground ammunition stores have been restored to give visitors an appreciation of the way they were when in full operation. In Fort Siloso, we also view the Surrender Chambers which recreate the surrender of the allied forces in February 1942, and that of the Japanese in September 1945. In the afternoon we visit Fort Canning. In the days before the Fall of Singapore, this area was a major military establishment and greatly different to what it is today. However, some evidence of WWII still survives, including the Battlebox, an underground bunker complex where the British commander General Percival commanded the final days of the Battle of Singapore. We explore the complex, which has been restored with various rooms, including Percival’s meeting room, fitted out as they would have been at that time. After our tour we return to the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Yotel Orchard Road (or similar) Meal Plan: breakfast
Day 05: 16 Jul BANGKOK Fly Bangkok. Meet & assist. Half day tour: Thompson’s House This morning we transfer to the airport and fly to Bangkok in Thailand. On arrival, we are met and transfer to our hotel for check in. In the afternoon we depart on a half day tour of Bangkok to visit Jim Thompson’s House, a beautiful Thai-style house owned by the man who made Thai silk famous throughout the world before mysteriously disappearing on a trip to Malaysia in 1967. Since his disappearance, little has changed in the home that was the “talk of the town” and the “city`s most celebrated social center”. Even today, the charming Thai style house continues to be a key stop for visitors to Bangkok. After our tour we return to the hotel. Overnight (4 star) River Suraya Bangkok Hotel (or similar) Meal plan: breakfast
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The Bridge Over the River Kwai
Day 06: 17 Jul BANGKOK Full day tour: Palace, Wat Phra Kaeo, Pho & Arun. Floating Mkt. This morning we depart on a full day tour of Bangkok. We depart the hotel and drive first to the Grand Palace situated on the Chao Phraya River. Construction started in 1782 CE, and today the complex is a collection of buildings covering 1.5 sq. km (0.9 sq. mile). Within the grounds we visit Wat Phra Kaeo, known for the venerated Emerald Buddha. Sitting on a golden altar, it is carved from green jade and is only 75 cm (30 inches) high! Since its discovery in the 15th Century, the Emerald Buddha has known many homes, including Lampang, Chiang Rai and two locations in Laos, Luang Prabang and Vientiane. We then take lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon we visit Wat Pho also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The temple is the largest in Bangkok and it is 200 years old. On its grounds, we will see the tremendous 46m (150f.) long, 15m (49ft.) high gold-plated reclining Buddha. The soles of his feet have detailed work of mother-of-pearl. Wat Pho also has more than 1,000 bronze images from Ayutthaya and Sukhothai rescued by Rama I's brother. Next, we visit Taling Chan Floating Market, which is utilized mostly by locals and frequented by less tourists than the more famous markets near Bangkok (like Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa). We take lunch in a local restaurant and then continue our day by crossing the "khlong" (river) by boat in order to visit Wat Arun, or the Temple of the Dawn. It was built in the early 19th Century and its tower is the highest in Thailand measuring 81m (265 ft.). The tower, or "prang," is covered with pieces of Chinese porcelain and its beauty is appreciated from a distance. The temple gained its name from the Indian god of dawn, Aruna. Here there are superb statues of the Buddha at the most important stages of his life: at birth (north), in meditation (east), preaching his first sermon (south) and entering Nirvana (west). After our tour, we return to the hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight (4 star) River Suraya Bangkok Hotel (or similar) Meal plan: breakfast, restaurant lunch
Day 07: 18 Jul CHIANG MAI Fly Sukhothai. Sukhothai Pk. Wat Srichum. Drive Chiang Mai Today we transfer to the domestic airport and fly to Sukhothai, where we are met on arrival. We then visit Sukhothai Historical Park and Wat Srichum in the old city (Sukhothai translates as “the dawn of happiness”), was the first large Thai Kingdom to develop in central Siam in the 12th ccentury CE. We then depart and continue our drive to Chiang Mai (4 hours). On arrival we check into the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa (or similar) Meal Plan: breakfast
Day 08: 19 Jul CHIANG MAI Full day tour: Temple Qtr. Doi Suthep, Wat Phra That Suthep Today we depart on a full day tour of Chiang Mai and surroundings. Chiang Mai has over 300 temples- its old quarter set within a 2 sq. km moat, and has retained many of its traditional wooden houses. At the main sanctuary of the Buddhist temple is a tower constructed in 1345 CE to house the ashes of King Kam Fu and the beautiful Viharn Lai Kam. This wooden structure is a marvelous example of Lanna architecture. Inside the temple there sits one of Thailand's three Phra Singh (or Sihing images). The setting of the image is enhanced by a colorful mural with scenes showing piggyback fights, merchants, fishermen and children playing. Later we visit the National Museum, home to a glorious collection of Buddhist images. We also visit Doi Suthep, which dominates the skyline to the west of Chiang Mai, characterized by the eagles-nest temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This is Northern Thailand's holiest shrine and one of Thailand's most important pilgrimage destinations. The view on a clear day extends over a seemingly infinite plain, making Chiang Mai look surprisingly compact. We then return to the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa (or similar) Meal Plan: breakfast
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The Bridge Over the River Kwai
Day 09: 20 Jul CHIANG RAI Drive Chiang Rai. Half day tour: Wat Phra Kaeo. Hill Tribe This morning we depart our hotel and drive to Chiang Rai. On arrival we check into our hotel. In the afternoon we depart on a half day tour of Chiang Rai. We first visit Wat Phra Kaeo, the city's most revered temple. According to legend, lightning struck and cracked the chedi in 1436 CE, revealing a plaster cast statue encasing the Emerald Buddha (actually made of jadeite). Today, Thailand's most holy Buddha image is housed in Bangkok; a replica, presented in 1991, is now kept here. The wat dates from the 13th century and is also notable for its fine bot, decorated with elaborate woodcarving, and the Phra Chao Lang Thong, one of the largest surviving bronze statues from the early Lanna period. We take lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon we will take a boat trip on the Maekok River and visit a local Hill Tribe Village. The rugged, forested limestone hills of northern Thailand are home to a mélange of some of the most interesting indigenous peoples in the world. The Lao, Karen, Hmong (or Meo), Mien, Lahu, Akha and Lisu minorities are a fascinating example of a vibrant pre-industrial way of life. They originated in Tibet and south China and live on the migration route that the Thai people themselves traveled 1,000 years ago. We then visit to the Hill Tribe Education Center where we can see typical clothing worn by each tribe. We will also be able to see different folk implements and other anthropological exhibits. Chiang Rai was founded in 1262 CE by King Mengrai. He decided that the site, in a basin between mountains, would be ideal for the new capital of the Lanna Kingdom. However, the capital was transferred to Chiang Mai only 34 years later and Chiang Rai declined in importance. Today it is known as the "Gateway to the Golden Triangle." With its varied ethnic groups and beautiful surrounding scenery, Chiang Rai, the capital of Thailand's northernmost province, feels far removed from Bangkok or even Chiang Mai. Evidence of the town's historic importance can be seen in monuments such as Wat Phra Kaeo even though modern development is becoming increasingly prominent. Overnight (4 star) The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa (or similar) Superior Studio Meal Plan: breakfast, restaurant lunch
Day 10: 21 Jul CHIANG RAI Full day tour: Mae Chan. Boat trip, Opium Mus. Chaing Saen Today we depart on a full day excursion to Mae Chan to visit the Yao and Akha Hilltribe Villages, and to Mae Sai, the farthermost northern village on the border between Thailand and Burma, with its bustling market place. We take lunch at a local restaurant, the drive into the Golden Triangle where the mighty Mae Khong River joins the Ruak River, forming the triangle where the borders of Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet. We then take a long tail boat trip on the Mae Khong River, stopping at an island in Lao territory to visit a Laotian village famous for liquor making and to visit the Opium Museum. Then continue on to the old city of Chiang Saen (1260 CE) on the steep banks opposite Laos, where we explore some magnificent ancient ruins and temples. After our tour we return to the hotel. Overnight (4 star) The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique River Resort & Spa (or similar) Superior Studio Meal Plan: breakfast, restaurant lunch
Day 11: 22 Jul KANCHANABURI Fly BKK. Drive via Nong Pladuk. Death Railway Museum This morning we check out, transfer to the airport and fly back to Bangkok. On arrival in Bangkok we are met, board our vehicles and immediately depart for the drive to Kanchanaburi. We first drive to the start of the 415k of track for the railway built under the Japanese by the prisoners at Nong Pladuk. We then continue towards Kanchanaburi along the route the POWS were force-marched from Bang Pong to Kanchanaburi on their arrival by train from Singapore. On arrival in Kanchanaburi, where the construction of the railway met its first obstacle, the river Kwai Noi, we first take lunch in a local restaurant, then visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre for a brief introductory talk, then spend an hour at the Death Railway Museum veiwing SINGAPORE & THAILAND
The Bridge Over the River Kwai the various exhibits of the Thailand-Burma Railway. The museum’s founder, Rod Beattie, and his colleagues have done a phenomenal job presenting the railway’s history through the exhibit of hundreds of black and white photographs of the railway and the skeletal men who built it, and with displays of artifacts, tools and memorabilia of both Allied prisoners and Japanese guards, and using accurate models of the landscape, bridges, and the route of the railway. Here we start to put faces to the men, hear snippets of tales overheard, glimpse POW documentaries, and for those who have family members that were here, the whispers about Grandpa start to make sense, and the realities of the experience for the POWs emerge. We then visit the adjacent Kanchanaburi War Cemetery for an explanation of background history and significance of this location. The Allied War Cemetery contains the resting places of nearly 7,000 Australian, English, and Dutch POWs who died during the construction of the Death Railway (the remains of American POWs have since been returned to the US). These men were originally buried at the POW camp grounds stationed along the railway, but years later, their remains were found, identified, and laid to rest in this memorial cemetery. After our visit, we continue to our hotel for check in. Dinner is served at the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Royal River Kwai Resort (or similar) Meal plan: breakfast, restaurant lunch, hotel dinner
Day 12: 23 Jul KANCHANABURI Bridge on River Kwai: Death Railway trip. Hellfire Pass This morning we check out of our hotel and depart at 08h30 on a full day Bridge Over the River Kwai tour. We visit first the site of the Chungkai PoW Hospital Camp and second railway Cemetery in town, followed by the Chungkai Cutting and PoW work area. We then continue to the famous “Bridge on the River Kwai” where we learn of the two bridges built in 1942/43 CE, and the nearby Tha Makham PoW camp that supplied the labor. We then catch the train from the adjacent Bridge Station departing around 10h40am and chugging along the still-working section of historic railway. The “Bridge over the River Kwai” was popularized in the 1950s by the movie of the same name – although the bridge is actually over the Kwai Yai River, and there were two bridges built between 1942 and 1945 CE, one made of bamboo and wood the other of metal. The bridges were part of the infamous Death Railway constructed by Allied POWs working in hellish conditions under the Japanese occupation. Some 106,000 POWs and Malay workers died during the railway construction. The present iron bridge is the second wartime incarnation, but two central 'boxy' spans were rebuilt after the war to replace three sections destroyed by Allied bombing. We have the chance to wander around the bridge and walk across it (there are few trains). We then re-gather at the platform and await the arrival of our train, to depart on a historic train ride across over the Bridge Over the River Kwai and through the Chungkai Cutting. We then steam through lush river-side teak forest on the infamous Death Railway along tracks and sidings laid by the Allied prisoners in 1943 CE, and still in use today. The highlight of the journey is crossing the remarkable Wang Pho Viaduct after which we disembark at Tham Krasae Station where we take lunch at local restaurant overlooking the River Kwai Noi at Wampo Siding. We explore this area of the railway (there is a large cave just off the track out of the town which features prominently in several well used photos of the time). In the afternoon we depart Wampo and drive to the Hellfire Pass Memorial and Museum. Hellfire pass is the most notorious section of the Death Railway, built during the ‘speedo’ period that resulted in the heaviest POW casualties of the war. Here we explore the impressive museum and walk along the railway itself to the infamous Hellfire Pass Cutting where so many Australians and British were worked to death. Here we find a plaque erected to Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, the Australian CMO of Hintok Camp, who saved so many Australian and British prisoners’ lives through corporate organization and sanitation, and by simply not allowing his staff or himself to give up. This siding represents the worst period of the railway construction. Thousands were worked to death along this 40-mile section of the railway, and many more died SINGAPORE & THAILAND
The Bridge Over the River Kwai later of disease and injuries and as a result of their labor. Hellfire pass is a sobering reminder of what man does to his brother when populism and extremism rule. After our visit we continue to our hotel for check in. Dinner is served at the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Home Phutoey River Kwai Resort (or similar) Meal plan: breakfast, restaurant lunch, hotel dinner
View from Chalker’s bed, dysentery hut, Chunkai Hospital Camp, Thailand 1943 CE.
Day 13: 24 Jul KANCHANABURI Dedication Ceremony. Dunlop Memorial, Chalker Gallery After breakfast have a guided exploration of the grounds of the complex on which the Home Phutoey River Kwai stands. This includes the Weary Dunlop Museum which is a small Memorial honoring the Australian national hero of the camps, Colonel Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, who’s bravery and temerity as a medical officer saved countless lives, and whose fame as a pre-war rugby international for Australia, gave Dunlop instant recognition after the war. Alongside and adjacent to the Dunlop Memorial, is the Jack Chalker Gallery memorializing the British Bombardier and artist, Jack Bridger Chalker whose ashes will be interred at this morning’s ceremony. After being beaten almost to death by a Japanese guard, Dunlop patched Chalker up, which included plugging a hole in his fractured skull above his nose, and discovered his beating was for illegal sketching pictures of the guards, then commissioned Chalker, at the risk of his own life, to make a pictorial record of the brutality, appalling conditions and medical techniques employed in the camps. The King of Thailand’s sister graced Home Phutoey with her presence when she officially opened the Jack Chalker Gallery, which contains a selection of Chalker’s better known art work of the POW Death Railway experience. Chalker’s POW art work SINGAPORE & THAILAND
The Bridge Over the River Kwai is a significant contribution both to the historical record and to medical science of tropical diseases and their long-term effects. Chalker’s pictorial record of POW techniques of survival in the face of considerable brutality is unique – he witnessed and shared the starvation, the outdoor living in monsoonal jungle with little or no medical equipment or medicine. Chalker’s drawings were of great use to other medical orderlies and also to camp morale for officers during captivity, as they could be used in the reproduction of equipment for medical needs, and also theater when the vital to morale plays were staged. Long after the war, when the Fall of Singapore was far enough in the past that it could again be spoken of in polite British society, Chalker’s drawing became some of the most iconic images of the entire POW experience itself, for both the English and the Australian survivors and their families. After we have explored the grounds, we attend a Dedication Ceremony where the ashes of Jack Bridger Chalker are mingled with the railway and the river as a fitting tribute to all those who perished on the Railway, and to all those that survived. There will be two parts to the Ceremony, one of which will be the placement of half of the ashes on a traditional Thai “Loy Kratong” released to float down the River Kwai Noi in symbolic recognition of the significance of the river to the Death Railway. The second part of the Ceremony is to inter the other half of the Ashes in a permanent Shrine in the vicinity of the “Jack Chalker Gallery” – lest we forget. We then take lunch in the hotel restaurant. After lunch, we view the documentary film entitled “Survivor” made by the family of Jack Bridger-Chalker, which portrays the entire POW experience, using the story of this one man to illustrate the larger experience. The remainder of the day at leisure and take advantage of the resort facilities. Dinner is served at the hotel. Overnight (4 star) Home Phutoey River Kwai Resort (or similar) Meal plan: breakfast, hotel lunch, hotel dinner
Day 14: 25 Jul BANGKOK Drive Bangkok. Afternoon at leisure Today we transfer down river in long-tailed river boats, then drive to Bangkok, where we check into our hotel on arrival. The afternoon is at leisure in Bangkok. Tonight, we gather in the foyer and depart for our farewell dinner in a local restaurant. After our dinner, we transfer back to the hotel. Overnight (4 star) River Suraya Bangkok Hotel (or similar) Meal plan: breakfast, restaurant farewell dinner
Day 15: 26 Jul FLY Transfer to the airport for departure flight Today we transfer to the airport for departure flight. Meal plan: breakfast
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The Bridge Over the River Kwai PRICE: PER PERSON IN US$ US$PP LAND COSTS (Based on minimum size group of 16 pax (includes 3 x Thai flights) US$4,750 Single Room Supplement US$ 1,180 *FLIGHT: (subject to change until issued) 16 July Singapore to Bangkok (International) 18 July Bangkok to Sukhothai (Domestic Thai) 22 July Chiang Rai to Bangkok (Domestic Thai)
INCLUDED SERVICES • Special customization and pre-departure services of Adventures Abroad • Fully escorted in Singapore by English-speaking Singapore guide • Full day Singapore tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, all costs • Full day Battle of Singapore tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance, all costs • Full day Singapore tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, all costs • Transfer to Singapore railway to catch the overnight sleeper berth train to Bangkok • 1st class Sleeper berth tickets Singapore to Bangkok (Thailand) • Fully escorted from arrival to departure in Bangkok by one English-speaking Thai guide • Half day Bangkok tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, all costs • Full day Bangkok city tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, boat costs, ents, all costs • Transfer to Bangkok domestic airport to catch the flight to Pitsanolok • Flight tickets: Bangkok to Pitsanolok. Economy class • Coach & driver: Drive Pitsanolok to Chiang Mai • Visit Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, Ramkhamhueng Nat Mus, Wat Mahatat, Palace. All costs • Full day Chiang Mai tour:To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, all costs • Coach & driver: Drive Chiang Main to Chiang Rai. All costs • Half day Chiang Rai tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, all costs • Full day Chiang Rai tour: To include coach, English speaking guide, entrance fees, all costs • Transfer Chiang Rai domestic airport for flight to Bangkok • Flight tickets: Chiang Rai to Bangkok. Economy class Bangkok • Meet and assist on arrival in Bangkok airport • Coach & driver: Drive Bangkok Airport to Kanchanaburi via Chunkai, Death Railway Museum etc. • Boat transfers to and from pier to hotel throughout Kanchanaburi stay • Full day Bridge on River Kwai tour: Death Railway trip. Hellfire Pass • Full day tour: WWII POW Dedication Ceremony. Dunlop Memorial, Chalker Gallery • Coach & driver: Drive Kanchanaburi to Bangkok via Cemetery and Death Railway Mus. All costs • Group coach transfer to Bangkok International airport for departure flight • One international (SIN/BKK) and Two domestic Thai flights (priced separately above) • Tips and gratuities throughout • 4 nights 4 star Singapore hotel on room & breakfast basis • 3 nights 4 star Bangkok hotel on room & breakfast basis • 2 nights 4 star Chiang Mai hotel on room & breakfast basis • 2 nights 4 star Chiang Rai hotel on room & breakfast basis • 1 night 4 star Kanchanaburi town hotel on room & breakfast basis • 2 nights 4 star Kanchanaburi river hotel on room & breakfast basis
NOT INCLUDED • Arrival transfer – travelers should make their own way to the group hotel • International flights from Australia / USA / Canada / UK • Visas, departure taxes, etc. (if applicable) • Tips, gratuities of any kind • Alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks • Meals not indicated above • Travel insurance