Anzac Day Memorial Tour - Tuandor Escorted Tours

Thai-Burma Railway Military History Tour and the Anzac Day Memorial Tour - 9 Days

This is an excellent package for those wishing to see first hand where and or learn more about the Australian and other Allied POWS of World War 2 whom perished and suffered so much when they were forced into slave labour as the construction force of the infamous 'Thai-Burma Railway' - nicknamed by the POWS as 'Death Railway'.

After the fall of Singapore to the invading Japanese Imperial Forces in 1942, large numbers of Allied troops (approx. 130,000) became prisoners of war to the Japanese. Of these large numbers of POWS held in Changi prison Singapore, some 61,000 Australian and other Allied troops were transported to either Thailand or Burma and forced to work on the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. By the end of the war in August 1945 about 16,000 of these Allied POWS had died as a direct result of the imprisonment and atrocious conditions they were forced to endure combined with virtual starvation, the presence of rampant diseases such as cholera with medical supplies denied and the horrendous cruelty, beatings and executions by their Korean and Japanese captors/guards during their control of the railway. The bulk of these to pass away was during the very short period of May 1943 - January 1944, where over 10,000 Allied POWS died. This time frame included the brutal 'speedo' period, where the Japanese became desperate to get the railway finished as the war turned against them.

Of the 16,000 Allied POWS to perish, nearly 3,000 Australians died here, almost 4,000 Dutch, approximately 135 Americans and the British with greatest loses of more than 6,900 lives on the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. The other remaining numbers of Allied prisoners to perish were made up of other Allied countries such as New Zealand, Canada, India, Belgium, Malaysia, Singapore etc.

Further to this as many as another 200,000 or more local non combatants i.e. natives and civilians from adjoining countries such as Java, Ambon, Malaysia, India and Burma were also forced to work on the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway. No one knows for sure the exact numbers, but it is estimated that somewhere between 80,000 to 100,000 or more of these local non combatants or native slaves also perished during the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway.

An Anzac Day Dawn Service is held every year at Hell Fire Pass to remember those whom never made it home and the survivors whom suffered so much. Private pilgrimages and respects can also be paid at original grave sites at some of the former POW camps during the course of our tours.

Our Tour Leader is Rod Rice an Australian adventurer and explorer and internationally published botanical author living in Western Thailand along the Death Railway. Rod is also the Director and Founder of the Kanchanaburi Orchid Species Research Station. With one house in low land Kanchanaburi city and the other up in the mountains of Sangkhla Buri 18 km from the famous 'Three Pagoda Pass' on the Burma border, Rod has been in a very good position to study and explore the railway and having spent a great deal of time doing so, has first hand knowledge of it and the camps and trail of the Thai-Burma Railway towards the Burmese end of the line within Thailand - i.e. between Konkoitia and the Three Pagoda Pass, where the bulk of Australian POWS perished.

Rod has a family military history serving abroad dating from this current day right back to the Boer War of 1899-1901. Rods interest and study of the Second World War dates back to early child hood days and continues to this very day.

During Rod's almost daily ventures into the jungles and forests of Kanchanaburi Province and the Thai-Burma border, doing his work as a botanical author and explorer, Rod encounters remnants and the original path of the Death Railway often. In doing so, it furthers Rod's knowledge of the Second World War and provides first hand knowledge of some rarely seen locations and former camp and hospital sites along the Thai-Burma Railway particularly near where it ends on the Thai side of the border. These encounters did in fact forge Rod's much intensified field research of the railway in recent years and hence today has a wealth of knowledge of the railways northern area to the border with Burma.

We provide four tours per year, Anzac Day of course - plus three others. Please see below for further details of tour dates, group sizes, prices etc. All parties are welcome to enquire including school groups, study groups, military history groups, family and individual pilgrimages etc. Please note the group sizes are limited, so book early to ensure your seat on the tour date you wish to participate in.

* Pay respects and visit original grave sites of Australian, British & Dutch POWS.

* Walk into an original 500lb bomb crater from an Allied air raid on an old bridge site.

* Check out part of an original limestone quarry for building bricks – POW labour.

* Tour brings you to the Burmese end of the Railway where the bulk of Australian POWS died (in Thailand ) in a stretch of approximately 40km, spread through about 10 camps. Observe first hand the worst of the camps and get a feel for how it was for our POWS including the infamous Shimo Songkurai camp where some 1000 Aussies died. No other tour company has knowledge of or goes to these northern camp locations.

* Observe first hand amazing scenery and the experience of the friendly Thai culture.

* All very comfortable air conditioned transport throughout the tour, world class accommodation, 3 meals a day plus bottled drinking water supplied with excellent staff and an educational, first hand experience you will never forget or get else where.

Price includes: all airport transfers (Thailand) & all tour transportation - fuel & other charges; 8 nights world class accommodation; daily breakfast, lunch and dinner (Thai or Western style) including fresh fruit; daily bottled drinking water; 1 train ticket, all museums, national parks and other entry fees (as per schedule); all licensed Thai Tour Guides and other staff and all booking fees and domestic Thai VAT taxes associated with the items we supply.

Please see 'foods supplied' under terms & conditions for a detailed list of foods supplied including our smorgasbord lunches. Note: All prices are ex Bangkok and do not include international airfare. We recommend our friends at Boronia Travel (the official travel agent for the Australian War Museum) for the purchase of air tickets and travel insurance. Ph: 1800 035 350 and ask for John.

Please Note: The following prices are current and once a booking has been paid for in full - that booking will be locked in at that price. With the continuous increasing price of fuel and oil, the price of everything else goes up as well- not just here in Australia, but around the globe! If the oil prices keep heading skyward as they are, our price will have to increase also. Therefore, although these prices are current, due to the climbing price of oil, prices may change here without notice. However, once a booking has been paid for in full, that booking is safe and firmly fixed. Any party whom has only paid a deposit and not completed payment of their balance are subject to any price changes due to the rising cost of fuel and oil. The trick is to book early and pay for your booking in full at the time of booking to avoid any price increases.

Railway Completion - Track Joining Tour.
This tour date is centered around the date of October 17th when the two ends of the railway line met at Konkoitia near the Burma border, representing the completion of the railway.

Tuesday 14th October 2008 - Wednesday 22nd October (9 days). $3675.00 + airfare. Seats: 2-14 people. Book early to ensure your seat.
Please Note: Contact our friends at Boronia Travel (the official travel agent for the Australian War Museum Gallipoli tours) and ask John for air tickets. Ph: 1800 035 350.

D Force Tour.
This date is centered around the memory of the first Australian POW's (Weary Dunlop's D Force) to arrive in Thailand to work on the railway.

Thursday 15th January 2009 – Friday 23rd January 2009 (9 days). $3675.00 + airfare
Seats: 2-16 people.
Note: This is a great time of year to do this tour as the weather is mild and absolutely delightful for the non tropical traveler.

Tuesday April 21st 2009 – Wednesday April 29th 2009 (9 days). $3675.00 + airfare.
Seats: 2-30 people. Don't Miss Out!! Make sure you book early!
Please Note: Contact our friends at Boronia Travel (the official travel agent for the Australian War Museum Gallipoli tours) and ask for John for travel insurance and air tickets. Ph: 1800 035 350.

July Memories Tour.
On July 17th 1942 the first Allied POW dies on the Thai-Burma Railway. Exactly one year later to the day, the most Allied POW's to die in any one day during the entire period of the railways construction was July 17th 1943 when 74 Allied POW's died. In total 1,468 Allied POW's died during July 1943 along the Thai-Burma Railway.

Thursday 15th October 2009 – Friday October 23rd 2009. $$$$$ T. B. A.
Seats: 2-14 people.

Schools, study groups or other interested parties are welcome to inquire about the availability of other dates thru out 2008 and 2009, including your own specific dates which best suit your travel schedule.

Thai-Burma Railway Boat Train

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