Pattani

Once the heart of a large Muslim principality that included the neighboring provinces of Yala and Narathiwat, Pattani Province has never adjusted to Thai rule. Although today’s political situation has stunted the area’s development, Pattani Town has a 500-year history of trading with the world’s most notorious colonial powerhouses. The Portuguese colonizers established a trading post here in 1516, the Japanese passed through in 1605, the Dutch in 1609 and the British flexed their colonial force in 1612.

Yet despite the city’s fascinating past, there's little of interest in Pattani. There are some decent beaches nearby, but the ongoing insurgency has made most of these sandy destinations unsafe for the visitors.