The Deep South is culturally and religiously distinct from the rest of Thailand — Muslim-majority, Malay-speaking in parts, and closer in feel to northern Malaysia than to Bangkok. The three southernmost border provinces (Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat) have experienced a long-running separatist insurgency, and most governments advise against non-essential travel there; check current travel advisories before planning a visit.
Hat Yai is the region's commercial hub and its most visited city, popular with Malaysian and Singaporean shoppers for its markets and street food rather than with the international backpacker circuit. Songkhla, on the coast nearby, is a quieter old trading town with a well-preserved historic quarter. Pattani itself has a deep Malay-Muslim history worth understanding even for travellers who give the wider province a wide berth.
