{{About|the town Songkhla}} {{Redirect|Singora|the historical city|Sultanate of Singora}} {{more citations needed|date=August 2012}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Songkhla | official_name = City of Songkhla<br>เทศบาลนครสงขลา | native_name = สงขลา (Thai) <br /> Singgora (Malay) <br /> سيڠݢورا (Jawi) | native_name_lang = th | pushpin_label_position = right | pushpin_map = Thailand | pushpin_mapsize = 250 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Thailand | settlement_type = City | image_skyline = City of Songkhla.jpg | image_caption = | image_map = | map_caption = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{THA}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Songkhla | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Mueang Songkhla | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | unit_pref = | area_total_km2 = 9.27 | population_total = 61,758 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_density_km2 = auto | coordinates = {{coord|7|12|22|N|100|35|48|E|region:TH|display=inline}} | leader_title = Mayor | elevation_ft = 36 | elevation_m = 11 | timezone = ICT | utc_offset = +7 | website = {{URL|songkhlacity.go.th}} | image_seal = Seal of Songkhla.png | government_type = City Municipality | leader_name = Somsak Tantiseranet | leader_title1 = Vice Mayor | leader_name1 = | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = (+66) 74 }}
'''Songkhla''' ({{langx|th|สงขลา}}, {{IPA|th|sǒŋ.kʰlǎː|pron}}), also known as '''Singgora''' or '''Singora''' (Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ, ''Singoro''), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies {{convert|968|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Bangkok and as of 2020 had a population of 61,758.<ref name="population">{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/thailand/cities/|title = Thailand: Major Cities, Towns & Communes - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information}}</ref>
Despite being smaller than the neighboring city Hat Yai, Songkhla is the capital of Songkhla Province as well as the Mueang Songkhla District (Songkhla town district). Together with Hat Yai, Songkhla is part of the '''Greater Hat Yai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area''' (a conurbation with a population of around 800,000), the third largest metropolitan area in Thailand.
At the opening of Songkhla Lake to the Gulf of Thailand, Songkhla is a fishing town and also an important harbour. It is the major seaport on the east side of the Isthmus of Kra.
==History== The name ''Songkhla'' means 'the city of lions' (not to be confused with Singapura) and is the Thai variant of "Singgora" (Malay and Jawi: سيڠڬورا). This refers to a lion-shaped mountain near the city of Songkhla. Archaeological excavations on the isthmus between Lake Songkhla and the sea reveal that in the 10th through the 14th century, this was a major urbanized area, and a center of international maritime trade, in particular with Quanzhou in China. The long Sanskrit name of the state that existed there has been lost; its short Sanskrit name was ''Singhapura'' ('Lion City') (not to be confused with Singapura), a city state. The short vernacular name was ''Satingpra'', coming from the Mon-Khmer ''sting''/''steng''/''stang'' (meaning 'river') and the Sanskrit ''pura'' ('city').<ref>{{cite book|last=Stargardt|first=Janice|editor-last=Schottenhammer|editor-first=Angela|title=The Emporium of the World: Maritime Quanzhou, 1000-1400|publisher=Brill|date=2001| pages=309–393| chapter=Behind the Shadows: Archaeological Data on Two-Way Sea Trade Between Quanzhou and Satingpra, South Thailand, 10th-14th century| series=Volume 49 of ''Sinica Leidensia''|isbn=90-04-11773-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GEhGM6fZeaAC}}</ref>{{RP|320-321}}
The ruins of the ancient port city of Satingpra are just few kilometers north of Songkhla. It was one of the most important trading centers of the Tambralinga Kingdom. Archaeological digs and investigations conducted toward the end of the 20th century testify the existence of a fortified citadel protected by a moat and a quadrangular surrounding wall made of brick. A sophisticated system of canals connected the sea to the Songkhla Lake permitting the circulations of ships. The excavations brought to light artifacts of great historical and artistic value.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=a5rG6reWhloC&pg=PA411 |title= The Malay Peninsula: Crossroads of the Maritime Silk-Road (100 Bc-1300 Ad) |author= Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h |translator= Victoria Hobson |editor= BRILL |pages= 411–416 |year= 2002 |isbn=90-04-11973-6 }}</ref>
The precursor of the present-day town of Songkhla was The Sultanate of Singora, a heavily fortified port city. It was founded in the early 17th century by a Persian, Dato Mogol, and flourished during the reign of his son, Sultan Sulaiman Shah. In 1680, after decades of conflict, the city was destroyed and abandoned; remains include forts, city walls, a Dutch cemetery and the tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah.
On 8 December 1941 local time, the Imperial Japanese army landed in Songkhla, invading Thailand. Because of the International Date Line, this actually occurred hours before the 7 December (Hawaii time) attack on Pearl Harbor, making it the first major action of the Pacific War. The Japanese forces then moved south towards Perlis and Penang as part of the Malayan campaign which culminated in the capture of Singapore.<ref>{{cite web|last=Parfitt|first=Allen|url=http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/singapore.aspx|title=Bicycle Blitzkreig [sic] The Japanese Conquest of Malaya and Singapore 1941-1942|website=MilitaryHistoryOnline.com|access-date=9 Aug 2011}}</ref>
Since 2003, Songhkla has been affected by separatist insurgencies in neighboring Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morch |first1=Maximillian |title=The Slow Burning Insurgency in Thailand's Deep South |url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/02/the-slow-burning-insurgency-in-thailands-deep-south/ |access-date=3 July 2018 |work=The Diplomat |date=2018-02-06}}</ref>
The municipality's mayor, Peera Tantiserane, was murdered in Songkhla in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/321052/more-hitman-suspect-sought-in-peera-case |title='Hitman' sought in Peera murder |work=Bangkok Post|date=2012-11-13 |access-date=2013-02-20}}</ref>
==Climate== Songkhla has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification ''Am''). Temperatures are very warm to hot throughout the year with only minor variation. There is a short dry season in February and March; the rest of the year is wet, with especially heavy rainfall from October to December.
{{Weather box|width=auto |location = Songkhla (1991–2020, extremes 1951-present) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 32.4 |Feb record high C = 34.3 |Mar record high C = 36.5 |Apr record high C = 38.2 |May record high C = 38.6 |Jun record high C = 37.6 |Jul record high C = 36.6 |Aug record high C = 37.3 |Sep record high C = 35.6 |Oct record high C = 38.5 |Nov record high C = 34.0 |Dec record high C = 32.6 |year record high C = 38.6 |Jan record low C = 19.1 |Feb record low C = 19.3 |Mar record low C = 19.7 |Apr record low C = 21.1 |May record low C = 22.1 |Jun record low C = 21.1 |Jul record low C = 21.1 |Aug record low C = 21.9 |Sep record low C = 21.4 |Oct record low C = 21.1 |Nov record low C = 19.9 |Dec record low C = 20.5 |year record low C = |Jan high C = 29.0 |Feb high C = 30.5 |Mar high C = 31.5 |Apr high C = 32.6 |May high C = 33.4 |Jun high C = 33.4 |Jul high C = 33.3 |Aug high C = 33.3 |Sep high C = 32.7 |Oct high C = 31.6 |Nov high C = 30.0 |Dec high C = 29.5 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 27.2 |Feb mean C = 27.5 |Mar mean C = 28.1 |Apr mean C = 28.9 |May mean C = 29.0 |Jun mean C = 28.7 |Jul mean C = 28.5 |Aug mean C = 28.3 |Sep mean C = 28.0 |Oct mean C = 27.4 |Nov mean C = 27.0 |Dec mean C = 26.9 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 24.9 |Feb low C = 25.0 |Mar low C = 25.2 |Apr low C = 25.8 |May low C = 25.8 |Jun low C = 25.5 |Jul low C = 25.2 |Aug low C = 25.1 |Sep low C = 24.9 |Oct low C = 24.6 |Nov low C = 24.6 |Dec low C = 24.6 | year low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 127.2 |Feb precipitation mm = 54.9 |Mar precipitation mm = 71.3 |Apr precipitation mm = 85.8 |May precipitation mm = 114.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 102.7 |Jul precipitation mm = 95.1 |Aug precipitation mm = 137.8 |Sep precipitation mm = 123.3 |Oct precipitation mm = 279.8 |Nov precipitation mm = 587.9 |Dec precipitation mm = 468.3 | year precipitation mm = 2248.9 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 7.5 |Feb precipitation days = 4.5 |Mar precipitation days = 5.3 |Apr precipitation days = 6.3 |May precipitation days = 9.8 |Jun precipitation days = 8.9 |Jul precipitation days = 9.2 |Aug precipitation days = 10.5 |Sep precipitation days = 11.4 |Oct precipitation days = 16.2 |Nov precipitation days = 20.3 |Dec precipitation days = 17.7 |year precipitation days = 127.6 |Jan humidity = 77.4 |Feb humidity = 76.2 |Mar humidity = 77.3 |Apr humidity = 77.1 |May humidity = 77.0 |Jun humidity = 76.3 |Jul humidity = 75.8 |Aug humidity = 75.7 |Sep humidity = 77.7 |Oct humidity = 81.4 |Nov humidity = 84.3 |Dec humidity = 81.9 | year humidity = 78.2 |Jan sun = 179.8 |Feb sun = 183.6 |Mar sun = 204.6 |Apr sun = 201.0 |May sun = 151.9 |Jun sun = 150.0 |Jul sun = 151.9 |Aug sun = 151.9 |Sep sun = 144.0 |Oct sun = 111.6 |Nov sun = 105.0 |Dec sun = 142.6 |year sun = |Jand sun = 5.8 |Febd sun = 6.5 |Mard sun = 6.6 |Aprd sun = 6.7 |Mayd sun = 4.9 |Jund sun = 5.0 |Juld sun = 4.9 |Augd sun = 4.9 |Sepd sun = 4.8 |Octd sun = 3.6 |Novd sun = 3.5 |Decd sun = 4.6 |yeard sun = 5.2 |source 1 = World Meteorological Organization<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Thailand/CSV/Songkhla_48568.csv | title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020 | publisher = World Meteorological Organization | access-date = 12 October 2023}}</ref> |source 2 = Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department (sun 1981–2010)<ref name=RID>{{cite web | url = http://water.rid.go.th/hwm/cropwater/CWRdata/ETo/ETo_PenMon_2554.pdf | title = ปริมาณการใช้น้ำของพืชอ้างอิงโดยวิธีของ Penman Monteith (Reference Crop Evapotranspiration by Penman Monteith) | publisher = Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department | page = 121 | language = th | access-date = 8 August 2016}}</ref>(extremes)<ref name=TMD1>{{cite web | url = http://climate.tmd.go.th/content/file/75 | title = Climatological Data for the Period 1981–2010 | publisher = Thai Meteorological Department | accessdate = 4 August 2016}}</ref> }}
==Population== The majority of the population is Buddhist with a large proportion of Muslims, especially in the rural areas near the Malaysian border. These Muslims speak the Yawi language, a language closely related to Malay, which has some Thai influence, especially in loan words borrowed from the Thai language.<ref>{{cite book|last=Yegar|first=Moshe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S5q7qxi5LBgC&q=Songkhla+muslim+population&pg=PA79 |title=Between Integration and Secession; The Muslim Communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, and Western Burma/Myanmar|publisher=Lexington Books |date=2002 |access-date=2013-02-20|isbn=9780739103562|format=eBook}}</ref>
Songkhla city takes up the entire Bo Yang sub-district. As of 2020 Songkhla city had a population of 61,758.<ref name="population"/>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Songkhla mermaid.jpg|Mermaid statue, Laem Samila beach File:Tinsulanonda Bridge 1.jpg|Tinsulanonda Bridge File:Songkhla Sea Port.jpg|Seaport File:Songkhla Laem Samila.jpg|Laem Samila beach File:Naga Head.jpg|Naga Head at Song Thale Park File:Songkhla-1687-french-map.jpg|French hydrographic/topographic map of Songkhla, during the reign of King Narai the Great, 1687 File:Songkhla-from-khao-tangkuan-circa-1930.jpg|Songkhla looking west from Khao Tangkuan, c. 1930 File:Songkhla-nakhon-nok-rd-circa-1932.jpg|Nakhon Nok Rd., c. 1932 </gallery>
==See also== *Sultanate of Singgora *Mahavajiravudh Songkhla School
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Wikivoyage-inline|Songkhla}} {{Commons category|Songkhla}} *{{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20070126152347/http://www.songkhlamun.org:80/}} {{in lang|th}}
{{coord|7|12|22|N|100|35|48|E|type:city(75000)_region:TH|display=title}} {{Metropolitan cities of Thailand}}
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Category:Songkhla Category:Populated places in Songkhla province Category:Cities and towns in Thailand