The Emblem of Yala

Introduction
     "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 kilometres. 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.

From Yala city of nearby Provinces
     -   Narathiwat 128 kms.
     -   Pattani 35 kms.
     -   Songkhla 128 kms.

From Yala city to its districts
     -   Amphoe Bannang Sata 40 kms.
     -   Amphoe Betong 140 kms.
     -   Amphoe Kabang Subdistrict 45 kms.
     -   Amphoe Krongpinang Subdistrict 56 kms.
     -   Amphoe Raman 35 kms.
     -   Amphoe Yaha 50 kms.

 
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.