Tha Sao (Thai: ท่าเสา) is a place name in Thailand that refers to multiple administrative divisions and a historically significant World War II site.
Administrative Divisions
Tha Sao, Uttaradit Province
Tha Sao is a tambon (subdistrict) of Mueang Uttaradit District, Uttaradit Province, Thailand. As of 2020, it had a total population of 14,691 people. The subdistrict is subdivided into 10 administrative villages (muban). The area is administered jointly by two local governments: the town (thesaban mueang) of Uttaradit and the subdistrict municipality (thesaban tambon) of Tha Sao.
Tha Sao, Kanchanaburi Province
Tha Sao is also a subdistrict (tambon) in Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province. The town of Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi (น้ำตกไทรโยคน้อย) lies within this subdistrict.
Historical Significance: Camp Tarsoa (Tarsau)
During World War II, the area known as Tha Sao (also romanized as Tarsoa, Tarsau, Tarso, Ta Soe, or Tha Soa) in Kanchanaburi Province was the site of a major Japanese prisoner-of-war camp along the Burma Railway (also known as the Death Railway). The word "Tha" (ท่า) means "pier" in Thai.
Camp Tarsoa was established on 24 January 1943 and served as a transit camp, work camp, and hospital camp. It became the base camp for Group 4 of "D" Force, which worked in the vicinity of Hellfire Pass. The camp was situated approximately 130 kilometres north of Non Pladuk, Thailand, and 285 kilometres south of Thanbyuzayat, Burma.
The hospital camp at Tarsau gained a notorious reputation for its appalling conditions, severe overcrowding, and lack of medical supplies. Between November 1942 and April 1944, 15,029 patients were admitted, and 806 prisoners of war died there. Three cemeteries were established near the camp, including one specifically for cholera deaths. The camp closed in April 1944.
Notable medical figures at Tarsau included Lieutenant Colonel Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop, an Australian surgeon who worked to improve conditions at the camp.
