The name "Yala" is derived from the local term "Yalo," meaning "fishing net." Historically, Yala was part of the Pattani region from the Sukhothai period through the early Rattanakosin era. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), administrative reforms established the "Monthon" system, grouping Yala with six other regional towns under the supervision of Nakhon Si Thammarat’s administrative commissioner. Yala later became a province in 1933 following the abolition of the monthon administrative system.

Yala's city center has shifted four times over the years, with the final relocation to Ban Nibong during the tenure of Yala’s tenth governor, Phra Ratkitvicharn (Sawat Na Nakhon) from 1913–1915. Known for its unique urban planning, Yala’s city layout is characterized by concentric circles and a web-like grid that won national cleanliness awards from 1985–1987. In 1997, the World Health Organization recognized Yala as one of Thailand’s most livable cities.

Yala holds significance for its abundance of natural resources, notably tin, which was central to its economy in earlier times. Represented by an elephant on its provincial emblem, Yala also celebrates the province’s white elephant as a symbol of its heritage. Its provincial flag features green and white stripes, while its official flower is the bullet wood flower (Pikul) and the province's symbolic tree is the Si Yala tree.

Yala, Thailand’s southernmost province, borders Songkhla and Pattani to the north, Narathiwat and Malaysia’s Perak state to the south and east, and Songkhla and Malaysia’s Kedah state to the west. Located approximately 1,039 kilometers by rail or 1,084 kilometers by the newer road route from Bangkok, Yala covers an area of 4,521 square kilometers, representing about 6.4% of the southern region.

Historical Significance and Governance

Yala’s origins trace back to the Ayutthaya and Thonburi periods when Pattani maintained a tributary relationship with the Siamese court, with occasional interruptions in loyalty following Ayutthaya’s fall. In the early Rattanakosin period, King Rama I restructured Pattani, creating seven towns including Yala, governed under Songkhla rather than Nakhon Si Thammarat. Yala thus became its own administrative town in 1791, bordered by Pattani towns and Songkhla.

Governance reform continued through the late 19th century as Rama V implemented a modern administrative structure with provincial divisions, creating separate districts. Yala was divided into three districts: Central Yala, Yaha, and Kalapo, which were later revised to form two districts, Mueang Yala and Yaha, in 1907. Following the dissolution of the Pattani Monthon system in 1933, Yala was formally organized as one of Thailand’s provinces, structured with districts and villages under regional governance laws that remain in place today.