| Three Pagodas Pass | |
|---|---|
 Myanmar–Thailand border checkpoint at Three Pagodas Pass. | |
| Elevation | 282 m (925 ft)[1] |
| Location | Myanmar–Thailand border |
| Range | Tenasserim Hills |
| Coordinates | 15°18′6″N98°24′7″E / 15.30167°N 98.40194°E /15.30167; 98.40194 |
  Three Pagodas Pass Location of the Three Pagodas Pass in Thailand, on the border with Myanmar. | |
Three Pagodas Pass (Phloneကၠံင်သိုင့်ဖၠုံးလါင့်ဆေါတ်ဖိုင်သာ့;Burmese:ဘုရားသုံးဆူ တောင်ကြားလမ်း,Paya Thon Zu Taung Za Lang,Burmese pronunciation:[pʰajáθóʊɰ̃zùtàʊɰ̃dʑáláɰ̃];Thai:ด่านเจดีย์สามองค์,RTGS: Dan Chedi Sam Ong,Thai pronunciation:[dàːntɕeːdiːsǎːmʔoŋ]) is a pass in theTenasserim Hills on the border betweenThailand andMyanmar (Burma), at an elevation of 282 metres (925 ft). The pass links the town ofNong Lu in the north ofKanchanaburi Province, Thailand, to the town ofPayathonzu in the south ofKayin State, Myanmar.
The pass is named after three small, crumblingstupas orchedis which were probably built at the end ofAyutthaya period as a symbol of peace. The pagodas are now on the Thai side of the border in the village of Phra Chedi Sam Ong.[2][3] Parts of the border are still disputed.[2] These three chedis appear in theprovincial seal ofKanchanaburi Province in stylized form.[4] The pass gives its name to theThree Pagodas Fault.
The pass has been the main land route into western Thailand since ancient times. It is one of the few passes in theTenasserim Hills.
The pass is named after three pagodas erected in 1929 by Phra Sri Suwan Khiri, the ruler of Sangkhla Buri, with the assistance of local villagers, and has reputedly served as a route for Indian monks in the 3rd century to disseminate Buddhism in Thailand.[5]
During theAyutthaya period in Thai history (14th–18th centuries), the pass was the main invasion route for the Burmese, but at times was also used against them by Siamese armies. The first Burmese invasion through the pass occurred in 1548 during theBurmese–Siamese War (1547–1549).[6]: 15–16
During World War II, Japan built the infamousDeath Railway (officially Taimen – Rensetsu Tetsudo) through the pass. There is a memorial to commemorate the thousands of British, Australian, Dutch and American prisoners of war, and Asian forced labourers who died during the construction of the railway.[7][8]
The region is home to several hill tribes, includingKarens andMons, who areunable or unwilling to obtain citizenship from either country. Separatist armies have repeatedly tried to seize the pass from Myanmar, with the Mons in effective control until 1990, when Burmese troops regained it.[9] There is still occasional fighting in the area.[3]
Three Pagodas Pass is popular with tourists, who are allowed to obtain a one-day visa from the Thai side to visit Payathonsu. Attractions on the Burmese side include wooden furniture, jade carvings, and textiles. Thai tourists are allowed in as of 2011, while other tourists are not, due to its status as a temporary border checkpoint which only allows day trips between the two neighbouring countries.[10][11]
With the rambling struttingroosters of the Buddhist temple of Wat Suwankhiri[12] on aPayathonsu cliff near by, during April, Three Pagodas Pass becomes a site of theSongkran Festival withcockfights,Burmese kickboxing and various folk dancing.[13]
Media related toThree Pagodas Pass at Wikimedia Commons
Three Pagodas Pass travel guide from Wikivoyage Borders of Thailand andinternational crossings | |||||||||||
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