Thanlyin and Kyauktan (Syriam) was once an important city on the Irrawaddy Delta but is today a forgotten suburb of Yangon. The city, an important seventeenth-century port, was destroyed by King Alaungpaya and is best known for the Portuguese adventurer and short-time self-proclaimed King Philip de Brito, a one-time Portuguese mercenary who became the de-facto ruler of Syriam until, in 1613, he was defeated by the Bamar and impaled.
Thanylin is a short taxi ride away (US$20 round trip) or catch a local bus from Bogoyoke Aung San Road in Pazundaung Township for a crowded ride into the past! From Thanlyin, a boat (1500 kyat) takes a few minutes to get across to Kyauktan.