Understand
Narathiwat is the easternmost of four southern provinces that border Malaysia. The economic and border tourism centre is at Sungai Kolok where Malaysians like to spend their holiday and shop. The area has a constant flow of culture and trading.
The majority of the population is Muslims, with the Yawi language predominantely used in verbal and written language Yawi has roots from the spoken Malay language and uses consonants and alphabets of the Arabic language.
The Province of Narathiwat covers a total area of 4,475 square kilometres. It is on the eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula. The north borders Pattani and the Gulf of Thailand, the west borders Yala, the east borders the Gulf of Thailand, and the south borders Kelantan in Malaysia. Most of the area consist of primary rainforest jungles and overgrown mountains. The plains where 4 rivers converge are adjacent to the gulf. The rivers are namely: Sai Buri, Bang Nara, Tak Bai, and Sungai Kolok. Narathiwat has a tropical climate and has only 2 seasons; summer and rainy. The wettest period is during November to December.
History
Originally, Ban Bang Nara or Manalo was just a village on the bank of the Bang Nara River next to the sea. In the reign of King Rama I, Ban Bang Nara was under the administration of Sai Buri. It later became a precinct and came under the responsibility of Rangae in Pattani province. In 1906, iduring the reign of King Rama V, Ban Bang Nara grew into a large community, with highly active land- and seabound traderoutes touching the town. The provincial government offices were shfted from Rangae to Ban Manalo and in 1915, King Rama VI visited Bang Nara and grenamed the city Narathiwat, meaning "home of wise people".