Narathiwat is one of the southern
provinces (
changwat) of
Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise)
Yala and
Pattani. To the south it
borders the
Malaysian state of
Kelantan. The southern railway line ends in this province, which is one of the nation’s five provinces that borders Malaysia. The province features a range of cultures as well as natural resources, and is relatively fertile. Narathiwat is about 1,140 kilometers south of
Bangkok and has an area of 4,475 square kilometers. Seventy five percent of the area is jungle and mountains and has a tropical climate.