{{hatnote|This article is about the town. For the township, see Thandwe Township. For the district, see Thandwe District.}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Thandwe | native_name = {{lang|my|သံတွဲမြို့}} | official_name = Thandwe | pushpin_map = Burma | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = | imagesize = 300px | image_map = | map_caption = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Myanmar}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Rakhine State}} | subdivision_type2 = Township | subdivision_name2 = Thandwe | subdivision_type3 = Town | subdivision_name3 = Thandwe | area_total_km2 = 3522.798 | coordinates = {{coord|18|27|54.41|N|94|21|59.54|E|region:MM|display=inline}} | elevation_m = | timezone = MST | utc_offset = 6:30 | area_footnotes = | area_water_km2 = | population_total = 133484 | population_footnotes = <ref name=DOP-2014929>{{cite web|title=Population of Myanmar|url=http://www.dop.gov.mm/moip/index.php?route=census/download/download&download_id=336|website=Ministry of Immigration and Population (Myanmar)|access-date=9 April 2016|language=Burmese|date=2014-03-29|archive-date=2016-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422220313/http://www.dop.gov.mm/moip/index.php?route=census%2Fdownload%2Fdownload&download_id=336|url-status=dead}}</ref> | founder = Vāsudeva(legendary) | population_as_of = 2014 | population_urban = 14327 | population_density_km2 = auto | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 0717x | area_code_type = Calling code | area_code = 4365 | website = }} thumb|left|Artist rendition of Sandoway in the late 1800s '''Thandwe''' ("Thandway" in Arakanese; {{MYname|MY=သံတွဲမြို့|MLCTS=samtwai: mrui.}} {{IPA|my|θàɰ̃dwɛ́ mjo̰|}}; formerly '''Sandoway'''), with classical name being alled '''Dvaravatī''', is a town and major seaport in Rakhine State, the westernmost part of Myanmar.
==Recent history== During the ongoing Myanmar civil war, the town was the site of clashes between the Arakan Army and Myanmar's military, with the Arakan Army taking control of Ngapali Beach and several military outposts surrounding the town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fighting on Famous Ngapali Beach -AA Army tries to Knock Out 2 last Junta bases in Thandwe |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/fighting-famous-ngapali-beach-aa-army-tries-knock-out-2-last-junta-bases-thandwe |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Burma News International |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AA Launches Offensive to Capture Tanungup |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/aa-launches-offensive-capture-tanungup |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Burma News International |language=en}}</ref> According to reports, the Arakan Army seized the town's prison on 15 July 2024, with the town's remaining military battalions falling the next day and giving the Arakan Army full control of the town.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AA Seizes Thandwe Prison, Consolidates Control Over Town |url=https://www.bnionline.net/en/news/aa-seizes-thandwe-prison-consolidates-control-over-town |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Burma News International |language=en}}</ref>
==Geography== Thandwe is very ancient, and is said to have been at one time the capital of Rakhine State, then called Arakan. The district has an area of {{convert|3784|sqmi|km2}}. The area is mountainous, and spurs of the Arakan Mountains reach the coast. Some of the peaks in the north are over {{convert|4,000|ft}} high. The streams are only mountain torrents to within a few miles of the coast; the mouth of the Khwa forms a good anchorage for small boats. The rocks in the Arakan Range and its spurs are metamorphic, and include clay, slates, ironstone and indurated sandstone; towards the south, ironstone, trap and rocks of basaltic character are common; veins of steatite and white fibrous quartz are also found.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Sandoway|volume=24|page=140}}</ref> Nearby Ngapali Beach is popular among tourists.
===Climate=== Thandwe has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen ''Am''). Temperatures are very warm throughout the year. There is a winter dry season (November–April) and a summer wet season (May–October). Torrential rain falls from June to September, with over {{convert|1200|mm|in}} falling in each of the months of June, July and August.<ref name=WMOCLINO/> Between 1991 and 2020, the mean annual rainfall was {{convert|5384|mm}}. The rainfall in 1905 was {{convert|230.49|in}}.<ref name="EB1911"/>
{{Weather box |location = Thandwe (1991–2020, extremes 1978–1994) |single line = Y |metric first = Y |width = auto |collapsed = Y |Jan record high C = 37.2 |Feb record high C = 35.0 |Mar record high C = 37.8 |Apr record high C = 37.2 |May record high C = 37.8 |Jun record high C = 37.2 |Jul record high C = 32.8 |Aug record high C = 32.8 |Sep record high C = 35.0 |Oct record high C = 33.9 |Nov record high C = 36.1 |Dec record high C = 32.8 |year record high C = 37.8 |Jan record low C = 7.2 |Feb record low C = 7.2 |Mar record low C = 10.0 |Apr record low C = 16.1 |May record low C = 20.0 |Jun record low C = 20.0 |Jul record low C = 17.8 |Aug record low C = 20.0 |Sep record low C = 20.0 |Oct record low C = 18.9 |Nov record low C = 12.2 |Dec record low C = 8.3 |year record low C = 7.2 |Jan high C = 31.0 |Feb high C = 32.7 |Mar high C = 34.0 |Apr high C = 35.2 |May high C = 34.2 |Jun high C = 30.8 |Jul high C = 29.9 |Aug high C = 29.9 |Sep high C = 31.6 |Oct high C = 33.4 |Nov high C = 33.1 |Dec high C = 31.8 |year high C = 32.3 |Jan mean C = 21.9 |Feb mean C = 23.2 |Mar mean C = 26.1 |Apr mean C = 28.9 |May mean C = 29.3 |Jun mean C = 27.3 |Jul mean C = 26.8 |Aug mean C = 26.7 |Sep mean C = 27.5 |Oct mean C = 28.2 |Nov mean C = 26.5 |Dec mean C = 23.6 |year mean C = 26.3 |Jan low C = 12.9 |Feb low C = 13.8 |Mar low C = 18.2 |Apr low C = 22.7 |May low C = 24.4 |Jun low C = 23.9 |Jul low C = 23.6 |Aug low C = 23.5 |Sep low C = 23.5 |Oct low C = 23.0 |Nov low C = 20.0 |Dec low C = 15.5 |year low C = 20.4 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 7.5 |Feb rain mm = 6.2 |Mar rain mm = 3.6 |Apr rain mm = 17.1 |May rain mm = 354.2 |Jun rain mm = 1254.4 |Jul rain mm = 1521.5 |Aug rain mm = 1348.4 |Sep rain mm = 627.6 |Oct rain mm = 192.1 |Nov rain mm = 40.3 |Dec rain mm = 10.8 |year rain mm = 5383.7 |unit rain days = 1.0 mm |Jan rain days = 0.4 |Feb rain days = 0.3 |Mar rain days = 0.5 |Apr rain days = 1.8 |May rain days = 11.3 |Jun rain days = 22.9 |Jul rain days = 25.3 |Aug rain days = 23.6 |Sep rain days = 18.4 |Oct rain days = 11.5 |Nov rain days = 2.8 |Dec rain days = 0.4 |year rain days = 119.1 |source 1 = World Meteorological Organization<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Myanmar/CSV/Thandwe_48080.csv | title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 | publisher = World Meteorological Organization | access-date = 16 October 2023}}</ref> |source 2 = Sistema de Clasificación Bioclimática Mundial (records)<ref> {{cite web | url = http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/pdf/my-sando.pdf | title = Sandoway (Myanmar) | publisher = Centro de Investigaciones Fitosociológicas | access-date = 13 December 2018}}</ref> }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{wikivoyage}} * [http://www.maplandia.com/burma/arakan-rakhine/arakan-sandoway/thandwe/ 18° 28' 0" North, 94° 22' 0" East Satellite map at Maplandia.com]
{{Rakhine State}} {{Coord|18|28|N|94|22|E|display=title|region:MM_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}
Category:Populated places in Rakhine State Category:Tourist attractions in Myanmar Category:Township capitals of Myanmar