Satun Flora

 Satun

ดอกกาหลง

Satun (Thai: สตูล, pronounced [sà.tūːn]; Malay: Setul) is one of the southern provinces(changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Trang, Phatthalung, and Songkhla. To the south it borders Perlis of Malaysia at Wang Prachan(Malay: Wang Belacan). The name Satun is a Thai version of its original Malay name, Setul (santol, or wild mangosteen tree). The latter word's counterparts in Northern Malay and Urak Lawoi are Setoi and Setun respectively. 

   Satun has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with a short dry season in January and February and a prolonged wet season running from March to December. The highest monthly rainfall occurs in September and October with average monthly rainfall above 320 mm. The average annual high temperature in Satun is 32.6 °C and the average annual low temperature is 23.7 °C.

Like Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani, Satun is one of the four provinces of Thailand which have a Muslim majority: 76.77 percent are Muslim and 23.02 percent are Buddhists.^[7]Most of the Muslims are ethnic-Malays, though only 9.9 percent of the present-day population speaks Malay as their mother tongue due to the result of an effective language shift from Malay to Thai amongst its populace. The majority language in Satun province is Southern Thai, while the Malay dialect used in Satun is distinctly different from Patani Malay and is much closer to the Kedah dialect of Malay.

Satun UNESCO Global Geopark

Explore the newly developed Tula Cave geosite, where a limestone cave opens into a pristine sinkhole with a unique, independent ecosystem, home to newly identified endemic species. Discover the traditional Nora Dance, a UNESCO-recognised element of Thailand’s intangible cultural heritage, performed alongside local songs in Satun.

Celebrating Earth Heritage

Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, located in the southern province of Thailand, is a site of extraordinary geological significance, spanning two national parks and a wildlife sanctuary. The region is widely recognised as the “Land of Palaeozoic Fossils,” home to an unparalleled diversity of fossil species dating back over 500 million years. The geopark contains an extensive and continuous sequence of marine sedimentary rocks from the Cambrian to the Permian period, making it a key location for understanding Earth’s early evolutionary history. The geopark's fossil-rich landscapes provide crucial insights into past life forms, with discoveries including trilobites, brachiopods, stromatolites, conodonts, graptolites, tentaculites, and nautiloids. Cambrian trilobites found on Tarutao Island are the oldest recorded in the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The presence of volcanic ash layers interbedded with trilobite fossils allows for absolute dating of the Late Cambrian biostratigraphy, reinforcing the international geological importance of the site. A significant amount of evidence supports the theory that Shan-Thai was once part of the peri-Gondwana terrane, a crucial aspect in reconstructing Earth's ancient paleogeography. Among the most striking geological features of the geopark is Prasat Hin Panyod, a breathtaking pinnacle karst formation. This geosite is characterised by dramatic limestone towers, sea caves, and a hidden lagoon, accessible only by kayak, offering visitors an immersive journey through one of Thailand’s most spectacular geological formations. The continuous formation of karst landscapes, including notable sites such as Talu Cave, showcases the ongoing geological processes shaping the region. Beyond its fossil heritage, Khao Noi in Lal-Ngu District is an internationally recognised geosite where a stratigraphic boundary marks the transition from Ordovician to Silurian rock formations, providing vital evidence for global geological time boundaries. Additionally, Molae Bay in Mueang Satun District holds the distinction of preserving the oldest fossils in Thailand, dating to the Late Cambrian.

Satun is on the Malay Peninsula, on the shore of the Andaman Sea. It is separated from Songkhla province by the Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range, and from Malaysia by the Nakawan Range. The total forest area is 1,212 km² (468 sq mi) or 40.1 percent of provincial area.

The Ko Tarutao and Ko Phetra marine national parks are part of the province. Close to the border with Malaysia is the Thale Ban National Park, a big freshwater swamp area.

The three groups of offshore islands in the Andaman Sea form the Ko Sarai(Thai: เกาะสาหร่าย, pronounced [kɔ̀ʔ sǎːràːj]) subdistrict (tambon) of Mueang Satun District. It is composed of 3 island groups, totaling 243 km² in area, had a population of 5,077 as of 2012. The biggest village is Ban Ko Sarai (sometimes called Ban Yaratot Yai), on the island with the same name of 13 km², but the largest islands are Ko Tarutao (163 km²) closer to the mainland and the Ko Adang-Ko Rawi group (67 km²) further west. The population relies on fishing, agriculture and tourism.

Ko Adang is a wild, mountainous island in Tarutao National Marine Park in southern Thailand's Andaman Sea. Located just 2 kilometers north of popular Ko Lipe, it features fine-sand beaches, dense jungles, coral reefs, and quiet hiking trails with panoramic ocean views.

Thismia cf.sumatrana

Island

Chon Salat Viewpoint: A steep 45-to-60-minute hike from the ranger station leading to clifftop views overlooking Ko Lipe.
Snorkeling & Diving: Vibrant coral reefs right off the coast for day trips or independent swimming.
Pirate Waterfall: A jungle stream and waterfall located deeper on the island (best seen during or right after the rainy season).
Day Trips: Easily reached via a 15-minute longtail boat ride from Ko Lipe's Sunrise Beach. 

National parks

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There are three national parks, along with seventeen other national parks, make up region 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat) of Thailand's protected areas.

Tarutao National Park	1,490 km2(580 sq mi)	(241,968)
Mu Ko Phetra National Park	494 km2(191 sq mi)	(154,285)
Thale Ban National Park	196 km2(76 sq mi)	(9,053)

Wildlife sanctuaries

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Two wildlife sanctuaries are in region 6 (Songkhla).

Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary	1,267 km2 (489 sq mi)
Ton Nga Wildlife Sanctuary	182 km2 (70 sq mi)

Non-hunting areas

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There are a total of nine non-hunting areas in region 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat), of which one is in Satun province.

Nong Plak Phraya-Khao Raya Bangsa

20 km2 (7.7 sq mi)

Gesneriaceae

Satun Province in southern Thailand is home to notable Gesneriaceae species adapted to its limestone karst topography and coastal islands like Tarutao. A prominent Gesneriaceae species native to Satun is Paraboea tarutaoensis, which was first discovered and typed on Tarutao Island. Additionally, the genus Kaisupeea has its southern distribution range extending into the Satun neighborhood.

Key Gesneriaceae of Satun

Paraboea tarutaoensis: A climbing perennial herb with distinct petioles growing on limestone rocks in shaded forest terrain.

Paraboea elegans (Ridl.) B. L. Burtt บริพัตรใหญ่ Tarutao, Adang

Paraboea lancifolia (Ridl.) B.L.Burtt Tarutao [06°509N 99°309E], x 1888 (fl)

Damrongia lacunosa (Hook.f.) D.J.Middleton & A.Weber    Tarutao

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Kaisupeea species: A specialized genus characterized by annual flowering stems emerging from underground perennating structures, reaching southward to Satun near the Malaysian border. 

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Provincial government

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Satun is divided into seven districts (amphoe). These are further divided into 36 subdistricts (tambon) and 277 villages (muban).

Map with seven districts	No.	Name	Thai	Malay	Jawi
	1	Mueang Satun	เมืองสตูล	Mambang	ممبڠ
	2	Khuan Don	ควนโดน	Dusun	دوسون
	3	Khuan Kalong	ควนกาหลง	Padang Kecil	ڤادڠ كچيل
	4	Tha Phae	ท่าแพ	Berakit	براكيت
	5	La-ngu	ละงู	Laut	لا ٔوت
	6	Thung Wa	ทุ่งหว้า	Sungai Upeh	سوڠاي اوڤيه
	7	Manang	มะนัง	Bendang	بندڠ

Originally, the province was divided into two districts, Mambang and Thung Wa, and the minor district (king amphoe) La-ngu. Due to the decline of pepper production in Thung Wa District, in 1930 the government made Thung Wa a minor district and instead declared La-ngu a district. In 1939 Mambang was renamed to Mueang Satun. Khuan Kalong was split off from Mueang district in 1969, from which in turn Tha Pae was split in 1976 and Manang in 1996. In 1973 Thung Wa regained district status. Khuan Don was established in 1975 by splitting it from Mueang district.