Khwae Yai River Descent
This kayak group consists of three tracks along the Khwae Yai River, which originates near the border with Myanmar in the Tenasserim Hills. The Kwae Yai River was before simply known as the Mae Klong River which empties into the Gulf of Siam at Samut Songkhram. When Pierre Boulle’s novel "The Bridge on the River Kwai" written in 1952, turned into a well-known motion picture in 1957, confusion reigned all over. While in the film, the famous bridge was built over the "River Kwai", in reality it was not built over the Khwae River, but over the Mae Klong River in Tha Makham. People are inventive, so the Mae Klong River was shortened and the stretch north of Kanchanaburi was renamed the Khwae Yai; the Khwae River became the Khwae Noi. As thus geographical denominations were adapted following the movie.
Distance: 90 Km
Estimated travel time: 3 days (30 Km/day)
Departure: Tha Kradan in Si Sawat District
Arrival: Tha Muang (Mae Klong Dam)
Trip done: 6-8 April 2017 in 3 days
