Three hours by train and a world away from the bustle of Bangkok, the River Kwai runs through Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The team at SUP Hire Thailand communicated with me immediately after booking checking on preferences, experience level and arranging to pick me up at my resort (the beautiful, quiet and accommodating Oriental Kwai Resort in Kanachanburi that itself sits right on the river).

Troy, Pep and the SUP Hire Thailand team showed up on time at my resort and upon taking a look around, we decided to call an audible and launch directly from the Oriental Kwai Resort rather than driving to the usual launch spot. This turned the promised 13km ride down the Kwai to closer to 20km (I tried to hide a smile as Troy made sure that I was ok with the extra distance - free paddling! Troy put the extra distance to good use as we started down the Kwai with Troy providing paddle instruction.

Though I’m an experienced paddleboarder, my skill set and paddling knowledge is mostly limited to paddle, balance and try to stay on the board, but Troy was able to knowledgeably and skillfully demonstrate a host of new tricks and techniques to work on, including quick racing turns, surfer stance paddling and a few other very useful paddle placement and stroke tips. Some of the techniques were new and advanced and I took a dive into the river a few times! I did almost hit that backwards crossover, though, NOT the technical term - you’ll have to ask Troy for that one! A quick note on falling in - coming from Bangkok and the filthy Chao Phraya River, I was curious and concerned as to what was in store in the River Kwai. I needn’t have been concerned and you shouldn’t either. Far from the garbage infested and sewage-y Chao Phraya River that runs through Bangkok, the River Kwai is fresh, clean and beautiful. I didn’t see a single piece of garbage in our entire trek and the couple - more like 4 or 5 - dips I took in the river proved to be clean and refreshing!

About half way, we swapped Troy (who let me use his carbon fiber paddle for the rest of the trip, which was a treat!) out for Pep and continued on down the river to the famous (infamous?) bridge at whatever pace I preferred. While the booking indicated that a minimum of 2 was required for the tour, SUP Hire Thailand didn’t raise any issue with my solo booking and private tour! The wide river, endless greenery and mountainous background made for a gorgeous ride. We even saw steer drinking from the river as we passed. The paddle wasn’t technically difficult - mostly flat water with the current picking up nicely through certain stretches - so this tour is beginner friendly!

We arrived at the bridge, paddled under and docked on the beach beyond the bridge where we were picked up by the SUP Hire Thailand vehicle and I was driven back and dropped at the Oriental Kwai Resort a little over four hours after we set off. I’m told there are other paddleboarding outfits springing up in Kanchanburi, but you won’t go wrong with SUP Hire Thailand. The whole team was professional, personable and knowledgeable and $43.95 for that guided instruction and sunny ride down the Kwai river is a steal.

SUP Thailand: How to Paddle the River Kwai