Myawaddy (; ; ; ; Phlone ) is a town in southeastern

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 ...

, in

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 ...

, close to the border with

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. Separated from the Thai

border town A border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states, or regions. Usually the term implies that the nearness to the border is one of the things the place is most famous for. With close proximities to a different coun ...

of Mae Sot by the

Moei River The Moei River (, , ), also known as the Thaungyin River (; ) is a tributary of the Salween River. Unlike most rivers in Thailand, the Moei River flows north in a northwest direction. It originates in Phop Phra District, Tak Province, flowing th ...

(Thaungyin River), the town is the most important trading point between Myanmar and Thailand. Myawaddy is east of

Mawlamyine Mawlamyine (also spelled Mawlamyaing; , ; ; , ), formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), ''World Gazetteer'' southeast of Yangon and south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River. Mawlamyine was an ancient ...

, the fourth largest city of Myanmar, and northwest of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

, the capital of Thailand.

History

On 6 August 2010, a bomb exploded in the car park of a crowded market in Myawaddy, killing two men and seriously injuring four others. On 5 April 2024, during the

Myanmar civil war Myanmar has been embroiled in armed conflict since 1948, when the country, then known as Burma, gained independence from the United Kingdom. The conflict has largely been ethnic-based, with ethnic armed organisations fighting Myanmar's arm ...

, a combined force of

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and KNLA fighters captured major military bases on the outskirts of the city. Nearly 500 junta troops surrendered, leaving junta forces in Myawaddy isolated and under pressure. On 10 April 2024, remaining junta forces withdrew from Myawaddy and retreated to the Thai border. The KNLA subsequently took control of the entire township. Later reports indicate the KNLA never took the entire town. On 24 April, the town was recaptured by Junta forces, after the KNLA was forced to withdraw, after a heavy firefight.

Economy

Myawaddy is home to one of 7 official border trade posts with Thailand and opened on 16 September 1998. In 2022, total trade volume at the border post stood at , making it the second busiest trade port on the Thai-Burmese border after Htikhi. The border-crossing is a major route for the export of Myanmar's gems,Chien, Choo Tse (2004
"Border Areas & Into Burma Photo Gallery"
at pbase.com, archive
here
on 9 February 2005 by

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

many of which have their claimed

provenance Provenance () is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was originally mostly used in relation to works of art, but is now used in similar senses in a wide range of fields, including archaeology, p ...

changed once across the border. The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway connection to Myawaddy opened in August 2015.

Tourism

Under an agreement between Thailand and Myanmar governments, travelers who cross the border from Myawaddy-Mae Sot Friendship bridge are allowed to stay in Mae Sot for seven days. The new agreement has been effective from October 2016.

Crime

Since the mid-2010s, Myawaddy has been home to unregulated casinos, which remain illegal in Myanmar. In 2021, Myawaddy was home to at least 18 casinos. The area around Myawaddy has attracted significant investments in the form of Chinese gambling development projects, with ties to triads and crime syndicates, including Yatai New City, established by She Zhijiang, a convicted Chinese businessman; Saixigang Industrial Zone, linked to Wan Kuok-koi, a former triad leader; and Huanya International New City. The nearby village of Shwe Kokko has become a major regional crime, human trafficking, and cyber scamming hub. KK Park, located in the nearby village of Mawhtotalay, has also emerged as a centre for cyber scams, human trafficking, online gambling, prostitution, and drugs. Cyber-crime committed within the vicinity of Myawaddy includes pig butchering scams, which are run by Chinese crime gangs, which entrap people, predominantly ethnic Chinese and also other foreigners, under false pretenses and then force them under threat of torture to convince victims to send large amounts of money to them.

Healthcare

Myawaddy District Hospital is a public hospital that serves people in Myawaddy township and its surrounding area. Myawaddy Hospital's Operation Theater Building was constructed by the

Japanese Government The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty- ...

under the Japanese Government's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). However, local people still cross the border to seek help at Dr Cynthia Maung's Mae Tao Charity Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand, for better service.

Demographics

In the 2014 Myanmar census, Myawaddy Township had 195,624 people. The town itself had 113,070 people, 57.8% of the township's population. In 2019, according to the

General Administration Department The General Administration Department (, abbreviated GAD) is a civil service body that staffs all regional and state-level governments in Myanmar and provides administration for the country's myriad districts and townships. It also plays a centra ...

, the population had dropped to 55,638 people in the town, with the township dropping overall to 149,510 people.

Places of interest

Myawaddy is home to the Migyaunggon or Crocodile Temple, known for its crocodile-shaped library building. The town is also home to the Viewpoint Pagoda and Phra Mon Yoeun, a Mon-style Buddha image. Myawaddy township is also home to the famous Mulae, Mulaet, and Mulaeh pagodas, where people across Myanmar and even Thailand come on pilgrimage. The pagoda are 2,000 meters above sea level and have a stunning view, but due to Covid-19 and the ongoing Burmese civil war, the visit to the pagoda has dropped significantly.

References

External links

*
"Myawadi Map — Satellite Images of Myawadi"
at Maplandia

TravelPod {{Border Crossings of Myanmar Township capitals of Myanmar Populated places in Kayin State Myanmar–Thailand border crossings