Satun Province
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Satun (Thai สตูล) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Trang, Phatthalung and Songkhla. To the south it borders Malaysia. The name Satun is a Thai corruption of the Malay Setul, meaning mangosteen tree.
Geography
The province is located on the Malay Peninsula, on the shore of the Andaman Sea. The Ko Tarutao (Malay Pulau Tertua) and Ko Phetra (Pulau Petra) marine national parks are part of the province. Close to the border with Malaysia is the Thale Ban National Park, a big freshwater swamp area.History
Until 1813 Satun was a district of the Malay state of Kedah, then known as Mukim Setul in Malay. After that it was administrated by a governor sent from Nakhon Si Thammarat. In 1897, Satun became part of the Monthon Triburi (Kedah), which in 1909 was split between British Empire and Siam as part of Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909. While most of Kedah became part of the British Empire, Satun was given to the Siamese due to the fact that there was a large Siamese population there. It was then included into the Monthon Phuket. In 1933 the monthon were dissolved and the province became a first-level subdivision of Thailand.Demographics
Satun is one of the four provinces of Thailand which have a Muslim majority: 67.8% are Muslim, only 31.9% are Buddhists. Most of the Muslims have some ethnic-Malay ancestry (although 9.9% of the population claims to be ethnically Malay).Because region of Satun belonged to Kedah Sultanate which had a strong relationship with Ayutthaya as well as with Siam of the Chakri dynasty traditionally, its population of Malay Muslims commonly marries with Thai Buddhists without serious religious hesitation. This custom created an ethnic group known as Samsam, meaning mixed person.
Malay Muslims in Satun are substantially assimilated and rarely claim separatism from Thailand compared to the Malay Muslims in Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala.
Symbols
| The provincial seal shows Pra Samut Thewaa sitting on a stone in the sea, with the sunset behind. Pra Samut Thewaa is the god who guards the sea, the stone his divine vehicle. The sunset symbolizes the Andaman Sea, which lies to the west of the province. The provincial tree is the Thai Rosewood or P ha-yungklaep (Dalbergia bariensis), and the provincial flower is the Snowy Orchid Tree (Bauhinia acuminata). The provincial slogan is Peaceful, Clean and Pure Nature. |
Administrative divisions
| Amphoe | King Amphoe | |
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External links
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