Three Pagodas Pass
Three Pagodas Pass is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, at an elevation of. The pass links the town of Nong Lu in the north of Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, to the town of Payathonzu in the south of Kayin State, Myanmar.
Etymology
The pass is named after three small, crumbling stupas or chedis which were probably built at the end of Ayutthaya 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. Parts of the border are still disputed. These three chedis appear in the provincial seal of Kanchanaburi Province in stylized form. The pass gives its name to the Three Pagodas Fault.History
The pass has been the main land route into western Thailand since ancient times. It is one of the few passes in the Tenasserim 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.
During the Ayutthaya period in Thai history, 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 the Burmese–Siamese War.
During World War II, Japan built the infamous Death Railway 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.
The region is home to several hill tribes, including Karens and Mons, who are unable 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. There is still occasional fighting in the area.