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Satun Province
Satun is one of the four provinces of Thailand which have a Muslim majority: 70% are Muslim and 30% are Buddhists. Most of the Muslims have some ethnic-Malay ancestry, though only 9.9% of the population claims to be ethnically Malay. The Malay dialect used in Satun is distinctly different from Pattani Malay and is much closer to the Kedah dialect of Malay, with a significant admixture of Thai influences.
Since Satun had belonged to the Kedah Sultanate, which had a strong relationship with both Ayutthaya and Siam under the Chakri dynasty, its Malay Muslims commonly intermarry with Thai Buddhists without serious religious hesitation. This custom has created a distinct social group known as Samsam, meaning a mixed person. Most Samsams, if not all, are Muslims.
Unlike the other Muslim majority provinces in Thailand, Satun does not have a history of political confrontation with the central power in Bangkok or of tension with the Buddhist population which makes up the majority of Thailand as a country.[3] Malay Muslims in Satun are substantially assimilated and rarely sympathise with separatism from Thailand, in contrast to the Malay Muslims in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.
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Satun province is covering area about 2,478 square kilometres and its population is almost 274,000 persons. Most area is covered with tropical rain forest where are completed with plants and wildlifes.
There are many attractive places such as Tarutao National Park, Muko Adang – Rawi (islands) , Tham Lot Puyu, Muko Phetra National Park, and Thale Ban National Park.
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