"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.

From Yala city of nearby Provinces (kms.)
- Narathiwat	128
- Pattani	35
- Songkhla	128
From Yala city to its districts (kms.)
- Amphoe Bannang Sata	40
- Amphoe Betong	140
- Amphoe Kabang Subdistrict	45
- Amphoe Krongpinang Subdistrict	56
- Amphoe Raman	35
- Amphoe Yaha	50

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.

By Bus
Air-conditioned bus services are run daily between Bangkok and Yala from the Southern Bus Terminal.

For further information please call the Southern Bus Terminal at tel: 0 2435 1119-200 or visit www.transport.co.th.

Thai Doen Rot Co.,Ltd (tel: 0 2435 7424) operates a daily bus service from Bangkok to Betong. The bus leaves the Southern Bus Terminal at 4 p.m.

By Car
Yala is 1,084 kilometres south of Bangkok by road. One can take Highway 4 (Thanon Phetkasem) from Bangkok to Prachuap Khiri Khan, and Chumphon, then onto Highway 41 through Thung Song, Phatthalung, Hat Yai, Pattani, and Yala.

By Train
Yala is 1,055 kilometres from Bangkok by rail. The State Railway Authority of Thailand operates daily rapid and express train services from Bangkok to Yala. Trains leaves the Bangkok Railway Station at 0.25 p.m., 2.45 p.m. and 3.50 p.m. For more information please call Travelling Service Unit, Bangkok Railway Station at tel: 1690, 0 2223 7010 and 0 2223 7020 or visit www.railway.co.th.

By Air
There is no direct flight to Yala but Thai Airways International offers flights from Bangkok to Hat Yai. From Hat Yai one can either take the train, bus, taxi, or air-conditioned van to Yala. Please call Thai Airways at 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 for more information.

The Landmark Pole Celebration
is held yearly between May 25 and June 4. There are processions in Yala town. There are exhibitions, shops 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.