Thu Maung was a Myanmar Academy Award-winning film actor, singer as well as a distinguished writer and director. Throughout his film career, Thu Maung acted in over 40 films. He was born in Rangoon, Burma to parents U Thadu, a well-known author and director, and Daw Khin Nyo. Thu Maung was educated at St. Paul's High School. In 1966, he was admitted into the Government Technical High School, where he subsequently obtained a diploma in diesel engineering in 1969. During this period, he began writing poems and short stories for the Yuwadi Journal . In 1970, he published his first short story, "Thanakha Yay Kye Kye" under the pen name Oke Soe in the Wut Hmone Journal.

Thu Maung made his acting debut in the 1974 film Chit San Na Mu , becoming a popular screen actor throughout the 1970s. In 1990, he was awarded with the Myanmar Academy Award

Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards

The Myanmar Motion Picture Academy Awards are film awards given annually in Naypyidaw, Burma presented to the biggest achievers in the Cinema of Burma. The awards ceremony has been held annually since 1952. Each winner is presented with a golden statue and in recent years also a cash prize...

 for his performance in the movie Khu Hnit Sin A Lwan . Thu Maung began his song career in 1974, writing "Pan U Pan Me" for the film Naung Ta Myay Myay , and wrote over 2,00 songs throughout the course of his career.

Thu Maung died in Yangon on 16 May 2010 at the Thukha Gaba private clinic of liver disease

Liver disease

Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of diseases affecting the liver.-Diseases:* Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons , autoimmunity or hereditary conditions...

. His son Pho Thaukkya is also a film actor and singer.