DemographicsThe 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.
Of the remaining 0.3%, the following religions are: Christianity 0.2% Sikhism 0.1% Confucianism 0.02% and Hinduism 0.2%.
EconomyPhatthalung 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.
TransportAirPhatthalung does not have an airport. The nearest airport is Trang Airport, which is 66 km from the center of Phatthalung.
RailThe main station in the province is the Phatthalung Railway Station.
Administrative divisionsProvincial governmentPhatthalung is divided into 11 districts. The districts are further divided into 65 subdistricts and 626 villages.
Local governmentAs of 26 November 2019 there are: one Phatthalung Provincial Administration Organisation and 49 municipal areas in the province. Phatthalung has town status. Further 48 subdistrict municipalities. The non-municipal areas are administered by 24 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO.
TourismSightsPhraya Thukkharat Monument - 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.
Culture- Manora or Nora A local performing art in the south. It was an influence from the south of India, together with Lakhon Chatri. However, some dancing patterns were changed to match folk cultures in each province. There are 12 major dancing patterns. The patterns are done to lyrics sung by the dancers, either impromptu or composed in advance.
- Talung is a popular folk performance of the south. Talung puppets are made of dried cattle hide, cut beautifully into the characters of each shadow play. The puppets are usually painted black and each of them is held firmly between split bamboo slats called "mai tap". A puppet's mouth and hands will move in accordance with the narration. A Talung ensemble comprises the puppet masters and a band, totalling no more than eight persons. The musical instruments include pipes, drums, phon, and a gong.
- Khaeng Phon Lak Phra A type of Chak Phra or Lak Phra, a religious tradition in the south, but in Phatthalung it has different characteristics from other provinces. This festival is held on the full moon of the 11th month according to the Thai lunar calendar. The festival celebrates the ending of the Buddhist lent. According to local tradition, the believers carry the Buddha statues from the temples to the river and back. Several parades are held. In every parade drummers that represent one of the shrines in the city participate. In addition to the colored parades, various culture events take place like; drumming contests between the temples, dance shows, Buddha parades contests, water sports contests on Songkhla Lake, various exhibitions, etc. The type of drum used is called "Taphon" or simply "Phon". Hence the name of the festival.
Human achievement index 2022Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index, a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board has taken over this task since 2017.
| Rank | Classification | | 1 - 13 | "high" | | 14 - 29 | "somewhat high" | | 30 - 45 | "average" | | 46 - 61 | "somewhat low" | | 62 - 77 | "low" |
| Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings | |
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