| Phatthalung | |
| Native Name: | พัทลุง |
| Settlement Type: | Province |
| Translit Lang1 Info1: | พัทลุง เมืองลุง |
| Translit Lang1 Type1: | Southern Thai |
| Translit Lang1: | Other |
| Motto: | เมืองหนังโนราห์ อู่นาข้าว พราวน้ำตก แหล่งนกน้ำ ทะเลสาบงาม เขาอกทะลุ น้ำพุร้อน ("The City of Nora. Rich in rice paddies. Dazzling waterfalls. Source of water birds. Beautiful lakes. Ok Thalu Mountain. Hot water springs.") |
| Mapsize: | frameless |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Thailand |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Phatthalung |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Kukiat Wongkraphan (since 2017) |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 3,424 |
| Area Rank: | Ranked 58th |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 525,044 |
| Population As Of: | 2018 |
| Population Rank: | Ranked 51st |
| Population Density Km2: | 153 |
| Population Density Rank: | Ranked 28th |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [3] |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Total |
| Demographics2 Info1: | baht 36 billion (US$1.2 billion) (2019) |
| Demographics Type1: | Human Achievement Index |
| Demographics1 Footnotes: | [4] |
| Demographics1 Title1: | HAI (2022) |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 0.6242 "low" Ranked 63rd |
| Timezone1: | ICT |
| Utc Offset1: | +7 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 93xxx |
| Area Code Type: | Calling code |
| Area Code: | 074 |
| Iso Code: | TH-93 |
Phatthalung (th|พัทลุง, pronounced as /th/) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand.[5] Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Satun, and Trang. Phatthalung is essentially a landlocked province, one of the only two in southern Thailand, the other being Yala.[6]
The province is on the Malay Peninsula. It borders to the east the large and shallow Songkhla Lake, and to the west the Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range. Khao Pu–Khao Ya National Park is at the border with Trang.[7] Forests cover 628km², or 16.3 percent of the province's area.[8]
Phatthalung was formerly known as Mardelong (Jawi: مردلوڠ) in Malay, especially during the time when the region came under Malay-Muslim influence.[9]
Phatthalung became one of twelve royal cities during the reign of King Ramathibodi I of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century. At the end of the 18th century, King Rama I submitted the city to the Ministry of Defense, which was responsible for all the southern provinces. In 1896, during the administrative reforms of King Chulalongkorn, Phatthalung became part of the Monthon Nakhon Si Thammarat. In 1924, King Rama VI ordered to move the city of Phatthalung to the present-day Khuha Sawan Subdistrict.
The provincial seal shows the 177 meter high Phu Khao Ok Thalu mountain, the symbol of the province. The provincial tree and flower is the sweet shorea (Shorea roxburghii). The provincial aquatic life is the tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeld), also known locally as pla lam-pam (Thai: ปลาลำปำ), the eponymous of the striking local water source Songkhla Lake, or known in Phatthalung as Lam Pam Lake or Thale Noi and Phatthalung Lake.
Phatthalung does not have an airport. The nearest airport is Trang Airport, which is 66 km from the center of Phatthalung.
The main station in the province is the Phatthalung Railway Station.
Phatthalung is divided into 11 districts (amphoes). The districts are further divided into 65 subdistricts (tambons) and 626 villages (mubans).
| Number | Name | Thai | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mueang Phatthalung | เมืองพัทลุง | |
| 2 | Kong Ra | กงหรา | |
| 3 | Khao Chaison | เขาชัยสน | |
| 4 | Tamot | ตะโหมด | |
| 5 | Khuan Khanun | ควนขนุน | |
| 6 | Pak Phayun | ปากพะยูน | |
| 7 | Si Banphot | ศรีบรรพต | |
| 8 | Pa Bon | ป่าบอน | |
| 9 | Bang Kaeo | บางแก้ว | |
| 10 | Pa Phayom | ป่าพะยอม | |
| 11 | Srinagarindra | ศรีนครินทร์ |
As of 26 November 2019 there are:[10] one Phatthalung Provincial Administration Organisation (Thai: ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 49 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Phatthalung has town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 48 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 24 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).[2]
The majority of the province's populace are Thai Buddhists. Muslims account for 11.1 percent of the population. Many of Phatthalung's Muslims have some ethnic Malay ancestry, but over the centuries they had intermarried with the Thais and adopted Thai cultural norms.[11]
Phraya Thukkharat (Chuai) Monument (อนุสาวรีย์พระยาทุกขราษฎร์ (ช่วย)) - Phraya Thukkharat was a former monk known as Phra Maha Chuai. During the Nine Armies War in the reign of King Rama I, then Phra Maha Chuai had assisted Phraya Phatthalung, who had led a force of villagers to defeat an invading Burmese army. Later, when he had left the monkhood, he was awarded the royal title Phraya Thukkharat and was an assistant to the city's ruler.[12]
| Health | Education | Employment | Income | |
| 66 | 26 | 70 | 56 | |
| Housing | Family | Transport | Participation | |
| 50 | 74 | 19 | 15 | |
| Province Phatthalung, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6242 is "low", occupies place 63 in the ranking. | ||||
| Rank | Classification | |
| 1 - 13 | "high" | |
| 14 - 29 | "somewhat high" | |
| 30 - 45 | "average" | |
| 46 - 61 | "somewhat low" | |
| 62 - 77 | "low" |
Phatthalung is the home of real-world Implementation of LoRaWAN Internet of things this consist of devices with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the LoRaWAN or other communication networks and provided to people for free. This system called "The People's Network" by installed LoRaWAN Gateway running by start-up company named Southern IoT.