Payathonzu

For the temple in Minnanthu, Myanmar, see Payathonzu Temple.

Payathonzu (Pwo Eastern Karen: ကၠံင်သိုင့်ဖၠုံးဍုံ; Burmese: ဘုရားသုံးဆူမြို့; Mon: ဍုင်ကျာ်ပိ) is a town in the Karen State of south Myanmar, close to the border with Thailand. It is separated from the Thai border township of Nong Lu by the Three Pagodas Pass. It is also the administrative seat of Hpayarthonezu Sub-township (fourth-level administrative division of Myanmar) in Kyain Seikgyi Township, Kawkareik District of Kayin State in Myanmar.^[2]

Payathonzu ဍုင်ကျာ်ပိ
Town
Statues in Payathonzu
Payathonzu Location in Burma
Coordinates: 15°18′0″N 98°23′0″E
Country	Myanmar
Division	Kayin State
District	Kawkareik District
Township	Kyain Seikgyi Township
Subtownship	Hpayarthonesu
Elevation	728 ft (222 m)
Population  (2014)
• Town	27,311
• Urban	5,878
• Rural	21,433
• Religions	Buddhism
Time zone	UTC+6.30 (MST)
Area code	း58[1]

Overview

Payathonzu is home to Karen and Mon people. Separatist armies have been active in the town. Since 1990, it is under control of the Myanmar Army,^[3] however there is still occasional fighting in the area.^[4] 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.^[5] Between 2023 and 2024, the KNU relegated the administration of the town of a anti-junta aligned Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) group who maintains control and administers travel to and through Payathonzu as of December 2024.^[6]

The Tai Ta Ya monastery is located in the town, and features a long row of statues.^[7][8]

Payathonzu can be accessed from the Thai side via the Three Pagodas Pass. The border may not be open to foreign visitors.^[9]

Camp Paya Thanzu Taung

Camp Paya Thanzu Taung (also Kilo 108)^[10]) was a prisoner of war camp during World War II on the Burma Railway. It was located about 500 metres north of the border. The first prisoners arrived in March 1943, and were mainly Dutch.^[11] Later, they were joined by British and Australian prisoners.^[10] 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.^[11] The camp was abandoned in March 1944.^[10]