The
Tanintharyi Peninsula is the southernmost division of
Myanmar. It was part of the Thaton Kingdom of the Mon people until AD 1057, when it was conquered by King Anawrahta, who extended the
Bagan empire down to here.
As the influence of Bagan receded by 1287, the Siamese kingdom of
Sukhothai became the predominant power here, until it too was overshadowed by the Siamese kingdom of
Ayutthaya.
The Tanintharyi peninsula returned to Burmese rule in 1564 when King Bayinnaung of the Toungoo Dynasty conquered Siam. The power of the Burmese weakened in 1587, enabling Ayutthaya to regain its independence and reclaimed some territory on the southern half of the Tanintharyi peninsula in 1593, and the whole peninsula by 1599.
A newly powerful Burma under King Anaukpetlun recovered sections of the coast up to Dawei in 1614. Tanintharyi was the launch pad for Burmese offensives against Siam. The last Burmese offensive on Siam out of Tanintharyi took place in 1808-09, with attks on
Phuket.
The most popularly visited town for tourists on the Tanintharyi Peninsula is
Kawthaung.
Looking for information on Penang? Use this
Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.
Copyright ©
2003-2025 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.