About 34 km from Mawlamyine, Thanbyuzayat was the starting point of the "Death Railway" connecting Myanmar and Thailand with the Bridge on the River Kwai, constructed by the Japanese during World War II. There is a well-kept Allied War Memorial Cemetery for prisoners-of-war who died while building the "Death Railway" during World War II; the Railway Museum and a Japanese-built pagoda in memory of the perished Japanese engineers and prisoners-of-war. see photos of Thanbyuzayat