Town in Thailand’s Deep South celebrates old blend of cultures
2024.03.08
Pattani, Thailand
For outsiders, Pattani is a predominantly Muslim-majority city in Thailand’s Deep South plagued by insurgency, but a closer look at this capital of the province with the same name reveals a melting pot. Here, people from diverse backgrounds including ethnic Chinese blend their cultures.
Chinese migrants started to move into Pattani beginning in the 16th century as people from China’s Fujian region who had migrated to nearby Songkhla saw opportunities to improve their lives in Pattani.
By the 19th century, the Chinese community that had settled in Pattani slowly grew into what became a bustling market town. Ethnic Chinese make up a minority of the population in the Muslim-majority Deep South while the country is majority Buddhist.
Now, Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao Shrine, the worshipping place for the goddess of mercy in Chinese folklore, holds an annual religious celebration each February. Part of the celebration involves parading the statue of the goddess throughout the city.
Buddhists and Muslims join in the celebration that attracts thousands of tourists from across Thailand and from nearby Malaysia.
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