Payathonzu (; ; ) is a town in the

Karen State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An. The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the state in a NNW–SSE direction, and ...

of south Myanmar, close to the border with Thailand. It is separated from the Thai border

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Nong Lu Nong Lu () is a sub-district (''tambon'') of Sangkhla Buri district of Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. The name is Karen language, Karen and refers to the Nypa fruticans, palm used for roofing. It is located near the border with Myanmar. Nong Lu c ...

by the

Three Pagodas Pass Three Pagodas Pass ( Phlone ; , ''Paya Thon Zu Taung Za Lang'', ; , , ) is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), at an elevation of . The pass links the town of Sangkhla Buri in the north of Kanchanab ...

. It is also the administrative seat of Hpayarthonezu Sub-township (fourth-level administrative division of Myanmar) in

Kyain Seikgyi Township Kyainseikgyi Township ( Phlone: ; , ) is the only township of Kyain Seikkyi District () in southern Kayin State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. The capital city ...

Kawkareik District Kawkareik District (Eastern Pwo language, Phlone ; ; also called Dooplaya in Karen language) is a district of the Karen State in Myanmar (Burma). It consists of 4 towns; Kawkareik, the capital, Kyainseikgyi, Kyondoe, Payathonzu and Kyaikdon; and 552 ...

Kayin State Kayin State (, ; ; , ), formerly known as Karen State, is a Administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. The capital city is Hpa-An, also spelled Pa-An. The terrain of the state is mountainous; with the Dawna Range running along the ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

Overview

Payathonzu is home to

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding white woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand * House of Karen, a historic ...

and

Mon people The Mon (; Thai Mon: ဂကူမည်; , ; , ) are an ethnic group who inhabit Lower Myanmar's Mon State, Kayin State, Kayah State, Tanintharyi Region, Bago Region, the Irrawaddy Delta, and several areas in Thailand (mostly in Pathum Than ...

. Separatist armies have been active in the town. Since 1990, it is under control of the

Myanmar Army The Myanmar Army (; ) is the largest branch of the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar, and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southea ...

, however there is still occasional fighting in the area. In September 2023 it was reported that although the military still had a presence in the town, administrative and judicial affairs were largely under the control of the

Karen National Union The Karen National Union (; abbreviated KNU) is a political organisation with an armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), that claims to represent the Karen people of Myanmar. It operates in mountainous eastern Myanmar and has un ...

. Between 2023 and 2024, the KNU relegated the administration of the town of a anti-junta aligned

Democratic Karen Benevolent Army The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army - Brigade 5 (; abbreviated DKBA-5), also known as the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (; abbreviated DKBA) and the Klo Htoo Baw Battalion by the Burmese government, is a Karen Buddhist insurgent group in My ...

(DKBA) group who maintains control and administers travel to and through Payathonzu as of December 2024. The Tai Ta Ya monastery is located in the town, and features a long row of statues. Payathonzu can be accessed from the Thai side via the Three Pagodas Pass. The border may not be open to foreign visitors.

Camp Paya Thanzu Taung

Camp Paya Thanzu Taung (also Kilo 108)) was a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

camp during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

on the

Burma Railway The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand, and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...

. It was located about 500 metres north of the border. The first prisoners arrived in March 1943, and were mainly Dutch. Later, they were joined by British and Australian prisoners. The conditions were really bad with barely any food resulting in many deaths. After September 1943, the camp was used for maintenance of the rail road. The camp was abandoned in March 1944.

References

External links

* * {{Borders of Myanmar Populated places in Kayin State Burma Railway Myanmar–Thailand border crossings