"A beautiful border town, southernmost in Siam" is the slogan of Yala province. The word "Yala" comes from a folk word "yalor", meaning "fishing net" because at the original site of the town, Yalor, there was a mountain shaped like a fishing net.
It was a low land and people earned their living by using fishing nets to catch fish. Eventually, many new towns were set up one after another until finally it moved to Nibong, which is its present location. (Nibong means a kind of tree called "laocha-on").
Yala is the southern most province of Thailand with and area of 4,521 square kilometers. It is 1,055 kms. from Bangkok by rail and 1,440 kms. by road. It is the only one of the 14 southern provinces that is not next to the sea. Yala is mostly mountains and covered with forests but has very little flat land.

History

Yala used to be a part of Pattani, which was a colony of the Thai Kingdom during the Sukhothai Regime. In the year 1757, after Ayutthaya had lost to Burma, all its colonies in this area declared themselves independent. It was not until the reign of King Rama I that Krom Phra Rajwang Baworn reclaim Pattani into 7 towns.
They were Pattani , Saiburi, Nongjik, Yaring, Ra-ngae, Raman and Yala. As for Yala, Tuan Yalor became Phraya Lor, its governor. There had been many governors in succession before Yala became a province of Thailand and that was before the announcement of the cancellation of the division into regions according to the order of the Kingdom of Siam in 1993.

How to get there

By Bus
Air - conditioned buses and non-air conditioned buses leave from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal everyday about 16 hrs. further details, please contact 02-4355015.
By Car
Taking Highway No.4 to highway No. 41 or 42 pass Thepa River and then to Don Yang T junction , Turn right about 40 kms. to Yala province.
By Train
Express Train, Rapid Train and Sprinter leave from Hua Lamphong Railway Station daily for Yala about 17 hrs. Tel. 2230710,2230720
By Air
From Bangkok to Hat-Yai daily and then to Yala Province by bus, taxi or air-conditioned van about 150 kms.

Festivals & Events

The Landmark Pole Celebration
is held yearly between May 25 and June 4. There are processions Yala town. There are exhibitions, shop selling local products of the south and also southern Thai traditional entertainment such as shadow puppets, Monarch and a liege Hulu.

Yala Cultural Fair
contest and sale Shogun orange, longkong and durian fruits of Muang Yala. Kluayhin banana eating contest. Tour week of "Lake on mountain trip" week. The period of festival is about the first weekend of August every year.

The ASEAN Dove Competition
is held on the last weekend of March every year. There are processions in the opening ceremony. Dove raising clubs from Malaysia, Singapore and every province in Thailand join the competition. On the days, there are exhibition and goods for sale, including those involving dove raising.