Travel Happy

  • Bangkok
  • Thailand
  • Myanmar
  • Vietnam
  • Cambodia
  • Indonesia
  • Laos
  • Travel Tips

The Bridge Over The River Kwai: The Real Story

The Bridge On The River Kwai is famous in Thailand thanks to the David Lean movie of the same name – but the real story of what happened the building of the bridge during World War II is far different from what’s depicted in the film

David Lean’s classic 1957 World War II movie Bridge on the River Kwai depicted the horrors endured by the Allied prisoners of war (POWs) forced to build the Thailand-Burma railway by the Japanese Imperial Army. Thanks to the film, the Bridge, situated in the Thai town of Kanchanaburi a couple of hours drive from Bangkok, is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist attractions. However, the true history of what really happened during the building of the bridge over the River Kwai has almost been erased by the popularity of the movie.


Buy from Amazon
Bridge On The River Kwai
– David Lean
Buy from Amazon.co.uk Buy from Amazon.com
See all books by David Lean at
Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com



The screenplay was adapted from Frenchman Pierre Boulle’s novel The Bridge Over The River Kwai, which blended fact and fiction in an attempt to portray the futility of war. Lean’s offering further distorted the building of the infamous Death Railway. “I have never ceased to object to the way in which the cinematic legend has overtaken and obscured the facts of what really happened on the Burma-Siam railway,” wrote the former prisoner of war John Sharp.

Julie Summer’s book, The Colonel of Tamarkan: Philip Toosey and the Bridge on the River Kwai aims to set this record straight.

Toosey was the Colonel of the British Army’s 135 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. After his troops were imprisoned by the Japanese and shipped to Thailand he became the commander Tarmarkan Camp in Kanchanaburi. Summers is his granddaughter, who from an early age baulked at how the fictional, foolish character of Colonel Nicholson, played by Alec Guinness in Lean’s film, reflected on the real man.


Buy from Amazon
Bridge Over The River Kwai
– Pierre Boulle
Buy from Amazon.co.uk Buy from Amazon.com
See all books by Pierre Boulle at
Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com



Her book makes use of extensive interviews with Toosey’s friends, family and comrades from the war. Summer has trawled official archives, autobiographies and war histories, to build up an accurate image of what the real events were.

The end result is a compelling read which follows Toosey from his pre-war childhood, through his occupation as a cotton trader, his joining of the Territorial Army in peacetime, the British surrender of Singapore 15 February 1942, to his imprisonment in Thailand until the Japanese surrender and his release on 17 August 1945, and his life after the war.

By all accounts Toosey was a great man and an inspirational leader who successfully walked the line of military efficiency and winning the respect and loyalty of his men. He used the same skills that won him the Distinguished Service Order during combat in Singapore, to build and maintain a series of disciplined POW camps, understanding that high morale and mental health were as important to the survival of his men as food and medicine.


Buy from Amazon
The Colonel Of Tamarkan
– Julie Summer
Buy from Amazon.co.uk Buy from Amazon.com
See all books by Julie Summer at
Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com



Saying this, he was not averse to disciplining his men or using extreme measures if the situation demanded it. One only has to look at the statistics to see what the POWs were up against.

The railway was completed on October 17, 1943. It had been built at a rate of half a mile a day in little over a year. More than 12,000 Allied prisoners – roughly one man for every sleeper along the 415kms of track – and a shocking 93,000 Malays, Tamils, Burmese, Javanese and Thai laborers died in its construction.

Summer deftly communicates the misery of life for those forced into slave labor, working on a starvation diet for up to 18 hours a day in the unfamiliar inhospitable terrain of disease-ridden jungle. Prisoners and laborers were subjected to humiliating treatment, beatings and torture dispensed by Japanese and Korean prison guards for the most minor of infractions.

Toosey took many beatings from the Japanese for standing up for his men, who he demanded high standards from – those who failed to curb their needs for the greater good were dealt with decisively.

When one prisoner was seen stealing a blanket from a dying man at Tamarkan, the Colonel’s response was swift, brutal and served as a message to anyone else thinking of doing the same. “If you ever dare to step out of line I’ll starve you to death and you know I have the power to do it because I’ve got control of the food. Now, you are going to get beaten up by two regimental sergeant majors behind this hut,” he said.

While The Colonel of Tamarkan provides a window in on the harshness endured, it also serves as an account of the championing of the human spirit. It highlights the ingenuity of prisoners, who extracted yeast – a vitamin rich food source, essential in keeping disease at bay – from urine, and who built surgical instruments from forks and combs, water pumps from bamboo, and secret radios from razor blades and wire.

Anecdotes shed light on “V”, a network of Thais and Chinese, and foreign civilian prisoners, who risked torture and death on a daily basis to supply information, food, money and medicine to the POW camps.

While Summer’s writing is clunky at times, and one has to wonder just how objective a loving granddaughter can be as a biographer, she has brought a significant part of war history to light, and her book reminds us all of our innate capacity for both good and evil.

The profound and surprising effects of living through such an ordeal are best left to Toosey’s own words. “People say to me ‘what a ghastly experience’ and I say, ‘My dear friend, it was nothing of the sort. It was an experience which I could not go through again but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. It taught me so much about human beings.”

More Useful Thailand Travelling Info: (View all Thailand travel tips)
Packing List For Thailand
Thailand Itineraries
How Much Money Do I Need For Thailand?
Thailand Map
Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Start Planning Your Bangkok Trip Now!

:: From May 1 2025, all visitors to Thailand are required to fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before arrival. Do it online before you leave home to avoid the hassle of having to do it on arrival in the airport. Fill in the form at the Thailand Digital Arrival Card official site, and see also the official site instructions on filling in the card if you need help.

:: Find available Bangkok hotels on Booking.com and Agoda.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.

:: Browse a huge list of Things To Do In Bangkok - there are loads of activities and tours you can quickly book online or simply use as inspiration for your trip.

:: Find the cheapest flight to Bangkok with Skyscanner - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.

:: Book a Bangkok airport transfer to take you hassle-free direct from the airport to your hotel with the driver meeting you in Arrivals.

:: Rent a Pocket Wifi router which can connect several devices so you can have immediate internet access on your phone, laptop and tablet.

:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Thailand

:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.

:: Book bus, train and ferry tickets from Bangkok to the rest of Thailand with 12Go - easy to use website that lets you check timetables and buy tickets online.

:: Need inspiration? Check our Bangkok Itineraries for ideas of where to go and what to do.

:: Explore our Bangkok Travel Guide for more Bangkok must-see attractions and helpful tips.


Thailand Map: Plan Your Trip

Thailand mapClick For Thailand Highlights

Thailand Itineraries

  • 1 Day In Bangkok: Must See Itinerary 2025
  • One Week in Bangkok and on the Beach Itinerary
  • One Week on Thailand’s Beaches Guide
  • One Week in Thailand’s Beaches and Mountains
  • 2 Days in Bangkok Itinerary 2025
  • 3 Days In Bangkok Itinerary 2025
  • One Week in Bangkok Travel Itinerary 2025
  • One Week in Bangkok and the Mountains Itinerary
  • One Week in Chiang Mai and Thailand’s Mountains
  • 2 Weeks In Thailand And Cambodia Itinerary
  • 2 Weeks In Thailand And Vietnam Itinerary
  • 3 Weeks In Thailand, Cambodia And Vietnam Itinerary 2025
  • Thailand Itineraries

Thailand Must Read

  • Angkor Wat From Bangkok
  • Bangkok Guide: 55 Tips To Help You The First Time You Travel To Thailand
  • Bangkok On 30 Dollars A Day
  • Best Cheap Hotels In Bangkok
  • Budget Flights From Thailand To Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and More
  • Buying Cameras In Thailand
  • Flights From Bangkok To Koh Samui
  • How Much Money Do I Need For Thailand
  • How To Install A Thai SIM Card
  • iPod In Thailand – How Much Do They Cost?
  • Koh Tao: A Quick Guide For Non Divers
  • Motor Biking In Thailand
  • Sukhothai: Thailand’s Own Angkor Wat
  • Teaching English In Thailand
  • Thailand Backpacking: A Quick Guide
  • Top 7 Things To Do In Chiang Mai
  • Where To Find Cheap Flights To Bangkok

Thailand Destinations

  • Ao Nang Quick Guide
  • Chiang Mai Quick Guide
  • Chiang Rai Quick Guide
  • Pai Quick Guide
  • Koh Phangan Quick Guide
  • Koh Phangan Full Moon Party Thailand Dates
  • Koh Tao Quick Guide
  • Koh Samui Quick Guide
  • Phuket Quick Guide
  • Koh Phi Phi Quick Guide
  • Koh Lanta Travel Guide
  • Koh Yao Quick Guide
  • Koh Jum Quick Guide
  • Railay Beach Quick Guide
  • Krabi Town Quick Guide
  • Koh Samet Quick Guide
  • Koh Chang Quick Guide
  • Kanchanaburi Quick Guide
  • Pattaya Quick Guide
  • Hua Hin Quick Guide

Travelhappy Travel Guides

  • Myanmar Travel Guide
  • Singapore Travel Guide
  • Thailand Travel Guide
  • Vietnam Travel Guide
  • Travel Tips

Travelhappy Travel Guides

  • Bangkok Travel Guide
  • Living In Bangkok Guide
  • Cambodia Travel Guide
  • Hong Kong Travel Guide
  • Indonesia Travel Guide
  • Laos Travel Guide

Disclosure

travelhappy.info is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Travelhappy may be compensated for any bookings made through Agoda.com, Booking.com, Skyscanner.com, WorldNomads.com, GAdventures.com and any other commercial travel organisation featured on this website.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travellers in over 100 countries. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

© 2005–2025 travelhappy.info. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy