A walk around Singapore town

Actions
https://www.mindef.gov.sg/web/wcm/connect/pioneer/7c9b47ea-a665-44fa-8c80-4329417a7a21/People-Toh-Thiam-Wei_1.jpg?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_1QK41482LG0G10Q8NM8IUA1051-7c9b47ea-a665-44fa-8c80-4329417a7a21-mNaV-c. /web/wcm/connect/pioneer/7c9b47ea-a665-44fa-8c80-4329417a7a21/People-Toh-Thiam-Wei_1.jpg?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_1QK41482LG0G10Q8NM8IUA1051-7c9b47ea-a665-44fa-8c80-4329417a7a21-mNaV-c. /web/portal/pioneer/article/regular-article-detail/people/2019-Q3/aug19_people1
/web/portal/pioneer/article/regular-article-detail/people/2019-Q3/aug19_people1
aug19_people1
01 Aug 2019 | PEOPLE

A walk around Singapore town

// Story Thrina Tham 

// Photos Kenneth Lin & courtesy of CPT (NS) Toh

English 华文
CPT (NS) Toh turned his passion for sharing local culture and knowledge into a full-time job giving tip-as-you-wish walking tours.

He used to navigate the high seas, now this former naval officer navigates the streets of Singapore — with a group of tourists on his tail.

Captain (CPT) (NS) Toh Thiam Wei was a naval officer with the Republic of Singapore Navy for 11 years, spending most of his time sailing as the Navigation Officer of frigate RSS Tenacious. In 2011, he left the force to travel the world with his wife — a freelance video editor — and their three-month backpacking trip turned into three years of travelling.

By the time the couple returned, CPT (NS) Toh had a newfound interest for discovering a different side of Singapore and sharing it with tourists.

Despite the financial uncertainty, he took the leap in 2013 to do free walking tours where tourists can tip as they wish.

"I told my wife: I don't think there will be a lot of money coming in but I want to see if I could do this for a year," recalled CPT (NS) Toh.

It turned out to be a formula that worked. CPT (NS) Toh started as the only guide doing three tours a week; today he has seven freelance guides in his company — all wearing distinctive floral-print shirts — doing six free tours a week, on top of private tours.

His tour company Indie Singapore is ranked No. 1 on TripAdvisor's list of Singapore tours and holds the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, which it has earned annually for the past four years.

Family on the streets

From PIONEER's short time with CPT (NS) Toh after his best-known tour, "Our Original Chinatown Walk", his familiarity with the place and its people was apparent.

The 38-year-old was instantly recognised by shop owners and cleaners alike, exchanging friendly greetings with them like "Hi Aunty" and "ho seh bo?" (Hokkien for "How are you?").

"We try to engage with the local community along our tour route," said CPT (NS) Toh, whose tours include tourist spots like Kampong Glam and Little India as well as unusual places like the Singapore City Gallery and Huggs-Epigram coffee bookstore.

"We've seen stall owners handing out bottles of water to our guests when it gets hot. It feels like a big family out on the streets."

The tourists he has met range from former Singaporeans who have migrated overseas to groups from schools and the Singapore Armed Forces who engage him for private tours.

Most recently, he conducted a private tour for an Australian lady, tracing the places her grandfather went when he served in the military here.

"We read through his war diary— it was over 150 pages of handwritten notes — and we came up with (a tour) for her," CPT (NS) Toh, a self-proclaimed military history buff, recalled excitedly. "It was a full day out but I was happy to do it. It was something out of the ordinary."

Comrades-in-arms

Such adventures are not far from CPT (NS) Toh's days in active service. When he was first posted to RSS Tenacious as her Navigation Officer in 2006, it was just a week to her big deployment for Exercise Singsiam in Thailand.

"I was just into the job…and I had to plan the final details including our journey all the way to Thailand… I had to start liaising with the Thai Navy officers and make sure that everything went well."

CPT (NS) Toh recalls sleeping very little every night during that deployment. But he notes that overcoming the challenge was all part of growing. "It was tough but when you look back, there's a huge sense of satisfaction."

During one of his In-Camp Training (ICT) sessions, he was roped in as the Task Group Principal Warfare Officer for a three-week deployment for Operation Blue Sapphire, as part of counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden. He now serves as a Bridge Watchkeeper with a missile corvette squadron.

Ask CPT (NS) Toh if there is a part of Singapore he has a soft spot for and he names his old workplaces: the naval bases located in Changi and Tuas.

"They were ‘home' for a good part of my life, with some of my best comrades-in-arms," he said.

"Every time we go into the base, we'll complain that it's so far away but once we see the ships there, we see how majestic (they look).

"After finishing each ICT, I miss (being back on board) the ships."

Suggested Reading
New officers inspired to serve
New officers inspired to serve
PEOPLE
10-Jun-23

A trip to Changi Naval Base during his Basic Military Training (BMT) days turned out to be a defining moment for 2nd Lieutenant (2LT) Daniel Elfian Bin Mohd Nasir's life.

407 new officers ready to lead
407 new officers ready to lead
PEOPLE
10-Dec-22

"Serve your friends, family, and most importantly, your nation."

Sailor, engineer & mum
Sailor, engineer & mum
PEOPLE
13-Jul-22

She joined the Navy with a dream to see the world. Two decades on, she's found not only a new purpose in serving the nation and nurturing naval engineers, but also the love of her life.

RSS Tenacious wins Best Fleet Unit title Feature
RSS Tenacious wins Best Fleet Unit title
MILESTONES
28-Jun-22

This is the frigate's second win in the SAF's Best Combat Unit competition.

Life's smooth sailing when you're married to your best friend Feature
Life's smooth sailing when you're married to your best friend
PEOPLE
11-Feb-21

Happiness is being married to your best friend: Find out how this Navy couple stay the course in their relationship.

3 things you need to know about the ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise 2019
Cover story
3 things you need to know about the ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise 2019
OPS & TRAINING
04-Sep-19

Spicy, classy notes
Spicy, classy notes
PEOPLE
01-Aug-19

Local food personality Violet Oon reveals her special link to the Singapore Armed Forces and how she’s joining in the National Day celebrations this year with some old friends.

Owning our Singapore
Cover story
Owning our Singapore
PEOPLE
01-Aug-19

As Singapore celebrates her 54th birthday, here’s a look at how six National Day Parade (NDP) participants have contributed in their own ways to make the nation a better place.

Defence tech insights Feature
Defence tech insights
TECHNOLOGY
01-Aug-19

Innovation leaders from around the world gather for the second Singapore Defence Technology Summit.

Preparing a stout defence for generations to come Feature
Preparing a stout defence for generations to come
OPS & TRAINING
01-Aug-19

In this year's Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Day interview, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen outlines the SAF's plans to meet challenges ranging from shrinking manpower numbers to an increase in cyber threats and terrorism.