 | This articleis written like atravel guide. Please helprewrite it in aneutral,encyclopedic style, or move its content toWikivoyage. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page.(May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Songkhla สงขลา | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Malay | Singgora(Rumi) سيڠݢورا(Jawi) |
| • Southern Thai | สงขลา(pronounced[sôŋ.kʰlâː]) |
.jpg) .jpg)     From left to right, top to bottom :Hat Yai, Panorama of Songkhla from Tang Kuan Hill,Tinsulanon Stadium, Tinsulanonda Bridge,Khao Nam Khang National Park,Hat Yai International Airport | |
 Flag .svg) Seal | |
| Mottoes: นกน้ำเพลินตา สมิหลาเพลินใจ เมืองใหญ่สองทะเล เสน่ห์สะพานป๋า ศูนย์การค้าแดนใต้ ("Dazzling water birds. Pleasant Samila (Beach). Great city of the two seas. Charm of Tinsulanonda Bridge. The commercial center of the South.") | |
 Map of Thailand highlighting Songkhla province | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Capital | Songkhla |
| Largest City | Hat Yai |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Chotnarin Kerdsom |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,741 km2 (2,989 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 26th |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total |  1,431,107 |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Density | 185/km2 (480/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 15th |
| Human Achievement Index | |
| • HAI (2022) | 0.6575 "somewhat high" Ranked 16th |
| GDP | |
| • Total | baht 242 billion (US$8.0 billion) (2019) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Postal code | 90xxx |
| Calling code | 074 |
| ISO 3166 code | TH-90 |
| Website | songkhla |
Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัดสงขลา | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
 Interactive map of Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local administrative divisions |
| • Body | Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organization |
| • President | Suphit Phithaktham |
| Website | songkhlapao |
Songkhla (Thai:สงขลา,pronounced[sǒŋ.kʰlǎː],Malay:Singgora) is one of the southernprovinces (changwat) ofThailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise)Satun,Phatthalung,Nakhon Si Thammarat,Pattani, andYala. To the south it bordersKedah andPerlis ofMalaysia.
In contrast to most other provinces, the capitalSongkhla is not the largest city in the province. The much newer city ofHat Yai, with a population of 359,813, is considerably larger, with twice the population of Songkhla (163,072). This often leads to the misconception that Hat Yai is the provincial capital.
The province is on theMalay Peninsula, on the coast of theGulf of Thailand. The highest elevation is Khao Mai Kaeo at 821 meters.
In the north of the province isSongkhla Lake, the largest natural lake in Thailand. This shallow lake covers an area of 1,040 km2, and has a south–north extent of 78 kilometers. At its mouth on the Gulf of Thailand, near the city of Songkhla, the water becomes brackish.[5] A small population ofIrrawaddy dolphins live in the lake, but are in danger of extinction due to accidental capture by the nets of the local fishing industry.
Songkhla province hosts three national parks.San Kala Khiri covers 143 km2 (55 sq mi)[6]: 6 of mountain highlands on the Thai-Malay border.
Khao Nam Khang with an area of 212 km2 (82 sq mi)[7]: 65 is also in the boundary mountains.[8]Namtok Sai Khao on the Pattani-Songkhla border occupies an area of 70 km2 (27 sq mi).[7]: 110 The total forest area is 866 km2 (334 sq mi) or 11.2 percent of provincial area.[1] Chinese Communist guerrillas inhabited this region until the 1980s.[citation needed]
Within the boundaries of the city of Songkhla is Cape Samila Beach, the most popular beach in the province. The famous mermaid statue can be found here. The two islands Ko Nu and Ko Maew (Mouse and Cat Islands), not far from the beach, are also popular landmarks, and a preferred fishing ground. According to a local folk tale, a cat, mouse and dog were traveling on a Chinese ship, when they attempted to steal a crystal from a merchant. While trying to swim ashore, both the cat and the mouse drowned and became the two islands; the dog reached the beach, then died and become the hillKhao Tang Kuan. The crystal turned into the white sandy beach.[9]
The name Songkhla is actually theThai corruption ofSinggora (Jawi: سيڠڬورا); its original name means "the city of lions" inMalay (not to be confused withSingapura). This refers to a lion-shaped mountain near the city of Songkhla.
Songkhla was the seat of an old Malay Kingdom with heavySrivijayan influence. In ancient times (200–1400 CE), Songkhla formed the northern extremity of the Malay Kingdom ofLangkasuka. The city-state then succeeded as theSultanate of Singgora, it later became a tributary ofNakhon Si Thammarat, suffering damage during several attempts to gain independence.
In Arabic-Persian merchant’s record from 1450-1550, Songkhla was firstly known as Singor or Singora.
Archaeological excavations on the isthmus between Lake Songkhla and the sea reveal that in the 10th through the 14th century this was a major urbanized area, and a center of international maritime trade, in particular withQuanzhou in China. The long Sanskrit name of the state that existed there has been lost; its short Sanskrit name wasSinghapura ("Lion City") (not to be confused withSingapura), a city state. The short vernacular name was Satingpra, coming from theMon-Khmersting/steng/stang (meaning "river") and the Sanskritpura ("city").[10]: 320–321 The ruins of the importantport city ofSatingpra are just few kilometres north of Songkhla city.[11]
During 1619-1680, Songkhla Town beside Red Hill was very prosperous in trading with other countries byMalay governors migrating fromIndonesia. They escaped from Dutch’s monopoly tradefor free trade in Songkhla which was supported byEngland. At the first period, during 1619-1642 the governor of Songkhla wasMuslim. Later, In 1642-1680 the governor of Songkhla rebelled toAyutthaya so the town was suppressed byKing Narai and left carelessly. Then,Phatthalung took control of it. From 1699 to 1776, Songkhla reformed at the new location in Laemson called Songkhla Town at Laemson Side which is opposite to the current location of Songkhla town.
In 1836,King Rama III instructed Phraya Vichiankiri (Tianseng) to build the city wall fortress. During the construction of the wall, Tuanku Ahmadsa-adtogether with the rulers from Syburi, Pattani and 7 other provinces, attacked Songkhla. After their conquering all the rebellion, the fortress and the city wall were carried on. Also, the city pillar was set up and the town of Songkhla was moved to the east of Laem Son called Bo Yang District, which is now in the area of Songkhla Municipality.
Since the 18th century, Songkla has been firmly under Thaisuzerainty. In 1909, Songkhla was formally annexed by Siam as part ofAnglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, negotiated with theBritish Empire, in which Siam gave up its claim toKelantan in return for Britain recognizing Siam's right to the provinces north of that.
In the 18th century many Chinese immigrants, especially fromGuangdong andFujian, came to the province. Quickly rising to economic wealth, one of them won the bidding for the majortax farm of the province in 1769, establishing theNa Songkhla (from Songkhla) family as the most wealthy and influential. In 1777 the family also gained political power, when the old governor was dismissed andLuang Inthakhiri (Yiang, Chinese name Wu Rang (呉譲)) became the new governor. In 1786 the old governor started an uprising, which was put down after four months. The position was thereafter inherited in the family and was held by eight of his descendants until 1901, whenPhraya Wichiankhiri (Chom) was honorably retired as part of the administrative reforms of PrinceDamrong Rajanubhab. The family's former home was converted into the Songkhla National Museum in 1953.
In 1932, Monthon Thesaphiban or the administrative subdivisions was dissolved and changed to provincial administration, Songkhla then becomes one of the provinces in the south of Thailand.
Songkhla was the scene of heavy fighting when the Imperial Japanese Armyinvaded Thailand on 8 December 1941 and parts of the city were destroyed.
Buddhists make up two-thirds to three-fourths of the population, most of whom are of nativeThai orThai Chinese descent.[13] One-fourth to one-third of the population areMuslim, most of them belong to a Thai-speaking Muslim group, calledSam-Sam ( 'mixed').[14] People claiming to be of Malay ethnicity make up a minority among the Muslim populace.[15] The Songkhla Malays are very similar in ethnicity and culture to the Malays ofKelantan,Malaysia. They speak the languageSongkhla Malay which is a derivative ofKelantan-Pattani Malay.[16]
Theprovincial seal shows aconch shell on aPhan (tray) with glass decorations. The origin of the conch shell is unclear, but the most widely adopted interpretation is that it was a decoration on the jacket of the Prince of Songkhla.
Theprovincial tree is theSa-dao-thiam (Azadirachta excelsa). The brackish fishgreen scat (Scatophagus argus) is the provincial aquatic life.
Songkhla is divided into 16 districts (amphoe), which are further subdivided into 127 subdistricts (tambon) and 987 villages (muban).The districts ofChana (Malay:Chenok),Thepha (Malay:Tiba) were detached fromMueang Pattani and transferred to Songkhla during theThesaphiban reforms around 1900.[citation needed]
| Number | Name | Thai | Malay | Jawi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mueang Songkhla | เมืองสงขลา | Bandaraya Singgora | بنداراي سيڠڬورا |
| 2 | Sathing Phra | สทิงพระ | Candi Barat | چندي بارت |
| 3 | Chana | จะนะ | Cenok | چنوق |
| 4 | Na Thawi | นาทวี | Nawi | ناوي |
| 5 | Thepha | เทพา | Tiba | تيبا |
| 6 | Saba Yoi | สะบ้าย้อย | Sebayu | سبايو |
| 7 | Ranot | ระโนด | Renut | رنوت |
| 8 | Krasae Sin | กระแสสินธุ์ | Kota Ayer | كوتا ا ٔير |
| 9 | Rattaphum | รัตภูมิ | Tanah Merah | تانه ميره |
| 10 | Sadao | สะเดา | Sendawa | سنداوا |
| 11 | Hat Yai | หาดใหญ่ | Pantai Besar | ڤنتاي بسر |
| 12 | Na Mom | นาหม่อม | Dataran Cengal Pasir Agung | داتارن چڠل ڤاسير اڬوڠ |
| 13 | Khuan Niang | ควนเนียง | Kuning | كونيڠ |
| 14 | Bang Klam | บางกล่ำ | Kampung Pulau Bulat | كمڤوڠ ڤولاو بولت |
| 15 | Singhanakhon | สิงหนคร | Singapura | سيڠاڤورا |
| 16 | Khlong Hoi Khong | คลองหอยโข่ง | Terusan Siput Gondang | تروسن سيڤوت ڬوندڠ |
As of 26 November 2019 there are:[17] one Songkhla Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 48 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Songkhla and Hat Yai have city (thesaban nakhon) status.[18] Further 11 have town (thesaban mueang) status and there are 35 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 92 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).
Songkhla is served by a larger number of public hospitals than private hospitals. The main hospitals for Songkhla province areHatyai Hospital andSongkhla Hospital, both operated by the Ministry of Public Health.Songklanagarind Hospital is also another major hospital located in Hat Yai, but is operated by theFaculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, which is the largest medical school in the South of Thailand.
Songkhla province is an energy hub. It earns 100 billion baht each year from a gas separation plant, power generation, and oil. The gas separation plant sells 35 billion baht worth of gas per year toEGAT. Power generation accounts for 45 billion baht. Offshore oil rigs in the vicinity of Ko Nu produce 20,000 barrels of oil per day worth 30 billion baht per year. If a proposed coal-fired electrical generation plan inThepha District goes ahead, energy earnings could rise to 300 billion baht per year.[19]
Phet Kasem Road, running all the way from Bangkok, ends at the border crossing to Malaysia in Sadao.Asian highway 2 and18 also run through the province. Of note is the Tinsulanond Bridge, which crosses Songkhla Lake to connect the narrow land east of the lake at the coast with the main southern part of the province. With a length of 2.6 km it is the longest concrete bridge in Thailand. Built in 1986, the bridge consists of two parts. The southern 1,140 m connectsMueang district with the island Ko Yo, and the northern part of 1,800 m to Ban Khao Khiao.
Kanchanawanit Road, which runs from Songkhla town, though Hat Yai, and all the way to the Malaysian border at Sadao District, is considered the unofficial dividing line separating the Thai south from its deep south, Muslim-majority region.
The southern railway operated by theState Railway of Thailand runs through the province, and continues on into Malaysia, withHat Yai Junction being the main railway station. It is a junction for the railway link to Malaysia throughPadang Besar Town, where there are two stations:Padang Besar (Thai) on the Thai side andPadang Besar on the Malay side. Immigration is done on the Malay side. The other route from Hat Yai Junction goes further south toPattani (Khok Pho),Yala,Tanyong Mat andSu-ngai Kolok. In the past, a railway line connected the town of Songkhla with Hat Yai, but it was closed in 1978 and is now partly dismantled and partly overgrown.[20]
Songkhla is served byHat Yai International Airport inKhlong Hoi Khong District.
| Health | Education | Employment | Income |
 |  |  |  |
| 35 | 39 | 28 | 18 |
| Housing | Family | Transport | Participation |
 |  |  | .png) |
| 60 | 53 | 8 | 27 |
| Province Songkhla, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6575 is "somewhat high", occupies place 16 in the ranking. | |||
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using theHuman achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.[3]
| Rank | Classification |
| 1 - 13 | "high" |
| 14 - 29 | "somewhat high" |
| 30 - 45 | "average" |
| 46 - 61 | "somewhat low" |
| 62 - 77 | "low" |
| Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings |
 |
The most important Buddhist temple of the province is Wat Matchimawat (also named Wat Klang), on Saiburi road in the city of Songkhla itself.
.jpg)
Held in the first night of October, theChak Phra tradition is a Buddhist festival specific to the south of Thailand. It is celebrated with Buddha boat processions or sports events like a run up Khao Tang Kuan hill.
In September or October at theChinese Lunar festival the Thai-Chinese present their offerings to the moon orQueen of the Heavens in gratitude for past and future fortunes.
Songkhla was not initially affected by the outbreak ofPattani Separatism, which began in 2004. However, bombs planted in2005 and2007 stoked fears the insurgency might spread to Songkhla province.
As of 2018[update], the provisions of Thailand's Internal Security Act remain imposed on the districts of Chana, Na Thawi, Saba Yoi, and Thepha for reasons of national security. All but Chana share a border with Malaysia or Pattani province (Malay majority). Internal security restrictions, maintained by Thailand'sInternal Security Operations Command (ISOC) can result in curfews, prohibited entry, or prohibited transport of goods. It is considered one step below the imposition of fullmartial law.[21][22]
Songkhla football club participates inThai League 2, the 2nd tier of Thai football league system.The Samila Mermaid (Thai: เงือกสมิหลา) plays their home matches atTinsulanon Stadium.[23][24][25]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link){{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)57 Songkhla: 1 PAO, 2 City mun., 11 Town mun., 35 Subdistrict mun., 92 SAO.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)Places adjacent to Songkhla province | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
7°12′19″N100°35′49″E / 7.20528°N 100.59694°E /7.20528; 100.59694
