府
Satun
Satun is a province in the far south of Thailand on the Andaman Sea, sharing a southern border with the Malaysian state of Perlis and featuring Ko Tarutao Marine National Park, one of Southeast Asia's most ecologically important marine protected areas. The province has a Muslim majority population of approximately 324,000, making it one of Thailand's four Muslim-majority provinces.
Satun covers an area of approximately 2,478 square kilometres and is divided into seven districts, with the provincial capital Satun city situated at the head of a broad estuary. Unlike the three other Muslim-majority provinces of the deep south (Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat), Satun has remained peaceful and is politically integrated with mainland Thailand, reflecting its historical incorporation from the Kedah Sultanate in 1813. Ko Tarutao National Marine Park, established in 1974 as Thailand's first marine national park, protects 51 islands covering 1,490 square kilometres of sea and land. The park's remoteness kept it pristine for decades; during World War II, Ko Tarutao served as a prison colony for political detainees. Satun's economy is based on fishing, rubber, and a growing tourism sector centred on its Andaman islands, particularly Ko Lipe.