Nong Lu

According to legend, the Buddhist monk Tong Su settled in the area after a pilgrimage to Burma. His reputation for curing people drew in a crowd who settled along the Songkalia, Khwae Noi and other rivers.[3] The border area of Thailand and Myanmar (Burma),[3] was settled by Karen and Thai people. From the 16th century onwards, Mon started to move into the area from Burma. Until 1948, all received Thai citizenship.[4]

After the independence of Burma, Mon started to emigrate to the area as stateless citizens from June 1949 onwards.[5][6] They were given permission to stay and work in the border provinces only.[6] Nowadays, the different ethnic groups along with other refugees from Myanmar, live together in the Nong Lu sub-district.[7]

Wat Saam Prasob

In the 1980s, it was decided to build the Vajiralongkorn Dam on the Khwae Noi River to generate hydroelectricity.[8] The villages were flooded in June 1984 by the construction of the dam, and the population was resettled several kilometres further on higher ground.[9] Wat Saam Prasob, the main temple of the old town of Sangkhla Buri has remained visible even though it is partially submerged.[10][11]

The Nong Lu sub-district was established on 2 March 1995.[1] The economy is mainly based on agriculture,[3] and tourism.[12] It can be reached by Highway 322, and is located in a mountainous area with some plains. The soil fertility is low.[1]

Wat Wang Wiwekaram

Sangkhla Buri was rebuilt on the eastern bank of the Songkalia River, and the Mon village of Ban Wangka was rebuilt on the opposite side.[13] In 1986, Luangpho Uttama, the abbot of Wat Wang Wiwekaram, started to construct a wooden bridge for pedestrians across the river. The Uttamanusorn Bridge is the longest wooden bridge in Thailand,[12][13][14] Ban Wangka is also home to Wat Wang Wiwekaram, a Buddhist temple built in 1953 by Mon and Karen people,[15][16] which was relocated to the village in 1985.[17] The temple features a golden pagoda modelled after the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.[15]

The sights, and the authentic Mon clothing and lifestyle resulted in Ban Wangka becoming a tourist destination.[18] Since the 1990s, the town and the village have been growing, and as of 2015, the population is estimated at 10,000 people.[19] Between 13 and 18 April, the Songkran Festival in Sangkhla Buri attracts large crowds.[20] The wooden bridge was washed away by floods on 28 July 2013. It was rebuilt on 18 October 2014.[21] Later, it was joined by a permanent bridge for motor vehicles.[22]

The Three Pagodas Pass is located in Nong Lu at the village of Phra Chedi Sam Ong. The pass serves as one of the entry points into Myanmar.[23][24]

Songkurai is located to the south of the Three Pagodas Pass. It was the location of the prisoner of war camp used to build a bridge over the Songkalia River for the Burma Railway.[25][26]

Konkoita was the location where the Thai and Burma side of the Burma Railway met on 17 October 1943.[27] The location is nowadays submerged by the construction of the Vajiralongkorn Dam.[28]

• Sangchumnong, Aunkrisa (2016). Developing a sustainsable tourism model for cultural heritage destinations: The case study of Ban Wangka Mon village, Thailand (Thesis). Bangkok: Assumption University.

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