Tour
Guides and Tour Leaders
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Dave Williams
Dave Williams, a lifelong naturalist, is an American expat who has lived in Thailand in both Phuket and Krabi since 1992. Dave is well-traveled and has lived in New Mexico, Florida, Indiana, Hawaii, and Virginia. He left Virginia in early 1992 and headed for the tropics.
He started
paddling in 1978. He has a great deal of experience in both very
serious whitewater and sea kayaking. He has, of course, paddled extensively
in Thailand and in the rivers of Laos. He is the only person of all
of the tour operations in Phuket who was a paddler well before going
into the paddling business. PaddleAsia is his "labor of love."
Dave
is the ONLY paddler certified as a British Canoe Union Level 2 Coach
in Southern Thailand. In fact, he is the only person with current paddlesports
credentials of any kind in the South.
He is a lifelong student of ornithology, biology, botany, and Eastern Philosophy. He has a very broad knowledge of the birds of Thailand and Laos and a good working knowledge of the mangroves and other plants of Thailand. He’s also interested in all facets of seamanship, oceanography, survival skills, wild edible plants, and responsible tourism. Dave has been an instructor for many of the guides in other companies as well.
Our Guides - a huge part of the heart of PaddleAsia
Nipon
"Tom" Pannoi 
Tom comes from Phatthalung Province in Southern Thailand. He has a degree in tourism from Ratchapat University, graduating in 1997. He has been in the tourism industry 1997. CPR, First Aid, Swimming and several touch-up first aid courses since then.
He loves taking care of people and showing them the wonders of his country. His personality is one of his many strong points. Guests find having Tom lead them to be both fun and educational.
Guest
Comment:
Just wanted to send a short note to say that Jane and I had a fabulous
day of kayaking yesterday with our guide, "Tom." He was friendly,
professional, and knowledgeable about the area, flora and fauna. His
English was good and he had a good attitude. Our vegetarian meal was
delicious and abundant. I'll be sure to spread the word about the excellent
service and extraordinary experience your company offers!
Thanks for all,
Penny Cousins and Jane Mennie (2 satisfied customers) Phang Nga Bay
day trip Oct 2007
Another guest Comment:
Our guide, Tom, was brilliant. He was very attentive but not
pushy and just always seemed to say and do the right thing. Moo was
also fantastic and lots of fun, but she also showed us by example how
to be very still and quiet. The bungalows were just awesome and so was
the time we spent on water and on land.
Jackie Spragg - Khao Sok National Park January 2008
Another guest's comment:
Just a quick
note to let you know how impressed I was with the recent trip..........I
could not get over how well everything was organised and I
felt very privileged to have one on one with Tom (Nipon) for the kayaking
he was very knowledgeable and entertaining to say the least. The accommodation,
food and friendly people all added up to a very memorable time &
I'll be back.
Thanks Dave for such a great experience. John Hiscock - Phang Nga Bay November 2007
Solrayut "Aew" Savangpol
Aew
was born and raised in Phang Nga Province. Aew has been licensed
by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for almost a decade. Aew is a
very proper Thai. He's polite, a hard worker and very friendly.
Aew's paddling skills are very good. He's an extremely strong mountain
climber.
Guest's
comments about Aew
from Kathleen Elder (Phang Nga Bay in May 2005):
"I spend the day kayaking with Aew around Phang Nga Bay, north of Phuket. I just wanted someone at Paddle Asia to know what a wonderful day we had, due mostly to Aew. He was fantastic: patient, informative, and very conscience. We enjoyed hearing about how "hong" rooms are made, about the birds and flora or the area, and we mostly appreciated his serene way. He did not make me feel uncomfortable as a beginner paddler and even offered techniques to ease my paddling method. We can't say enough about Aew and what a splendid person he is."
To read more about Aew's guiding and personality, check out this Thai guides page.
Dusit
"Bao" Sakoonsin
Our go-to guy whenever we need anything done is Bang Bao. He's one of the hardest working guys we've ever met. He's also a guide and everyone loves Bao. His personality and genuine interest in making sure that you have a good time shows in everything he does.
Bao is from Ko Yao Noi, so he grew up around the water. His family lives on Ko Yao and when we can give him some time off, that's where he'll be found.
Bao has always got a smile on his face.
Walaporn
"Moo" Jitprathep
Moo was born and raised in Bangkok. She moved to Phuket over a decade ago. She has a love for life that is beyond words. For some strange reason, she's always happy...
Moo and Dave have been married since 1993. They live outside of Phuket Town with daughter Mook ('Pearl' in Thai), granny and their three pampered dogs.
Moo is a guide, tour leader, cooks at times and helps with trip planning and coordinating. If Moo is on your trip, you'll be taken very good care of.
You're never too old or too
young to start kayaking.
It's a gentle sport that suitable for all who have a sense of adventure
and who wish to explore the natural wonders of the world in comfort.
If you can trek, you can paddle! It's that easy.
Related web sites: Paddle Asia Tours | Birding in Thailand | Thailand Eco tours | Thailand Khao Sok Adventure Tourism Authority of Thailand License Number
31/0204
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