Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat Business Base vs the South (2026)
In short
Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat together hold 11,567 registered companies as of 17 July 2026. Their combined revenue is 136.9 billion baht. Songkhla alone has 28,543 companies, which is 2.5 times the trio. Songkhla's revenue of 657.2 billion baht is 4.8 times higher. The three provinces make up 6.5 percent of firms in the 14 southern provinces.
How big is the Deep South business base?
Small next to the rest of the South. Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat hold 11,567 registered companies as of 17 July 2026 (DBD, 2026). Pattani has 3,500, Yala has 3,909 and Narathiwat has 4,158. Their combined revenue is 136.9 billion baht. That is 5.8 percent of the 2,342.1 billion baht booked across the 14 southern provinces. Songkhla, the neighbour to the north, has 28,543 companies. Its revenue is 657.2 billion baht. The whole trio earns about a fifth of what Songkhla does. The exact share is 20.8 percent.
Registered companies by southern province
- Phuket52,557
- Surat Thani40,161
- Songkhla28,543
- Nakhon Si Thammarat14,023
- Krabi7,793
- Trang6,033
- Chumphon5,350
- Phatthalung4,218
- Narathiwat4,158
- Phang-nga4,027
- Yala3,909
- Pattani3,500
- Ranong2,651
- Satun2,110
Figures in companies.
Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat sit among the smallest of the 14 southern provinces, each below Trang at 6,033 companies.
Southern provinces: companies, revenue and revenue per company
| Province | Companies | Revenue (billion baht) | Revenue per company (million baht) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phuket | 52,557 | 404 | 8 |
| Surat Thani | 40,161 | 412 | 10 |
| Songkhla | 28,543 | 657 | 23 |
| Nakhon Si Thammarat | 14,023 | 204 | 15 |
| Krabi | 7,793 | 115 | 15 |
| Trang | 6,033 | 112 | 19 |
| Chumphon | 5,350 | 154 | 29 |
| Phatthalung | 4,218 | 37 | 9 |
| Narathiwat | 4,158 | 36 | 9 |
| Phang-nga | 4,027 | 46 | 11 |
| Yala | 3,909 | 46 | 12 |
| Pattani | 3,500 | 54 | 16 |
| Ranong | 2,651 | 39 | 15 |
| Satun | 2,110 | 25 | 12 |
Registered companies, total reported revenue and revenue per company, 14 southern provinces, as of 17 Jul 2026.
Why the gap matters
The gap is about scale, not just size. Songkhla books 657.2 billion baht of revenue. Chumphon books 153.5 billion baht from only 5,350 companies. That gives Chumphon 28.7 million baht per company. The Deep South trio runs at 11.8 million baht per company, against 13.1 million baht for the South as a whole. Pattani is the strongest of the three at 15.5 million baht. Narathiwat is the weakest at 8.7 million baht. For a lender, a supplier or a franchise planner, that means local demand is real but the deep pockets sit in a few large firms elsewhere. A business plan that treats the South as one market will overstate the three border provinces and understate Songkhla. These figures count registered firms with filed statements, so informal trade is outside the picture. The real economy there is likely larger than the registry shows.
Definitions
- Deep South
- The three border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
- Total reported revenue
- The sum of revenue on filed financial statements for companies registered in a province.
- Revenue per company
- Province revenue divided by all registered companies in that province.
- Aggregate
- A total or ratio computed across a group, not an average of individual firms.
Assumptions
- Revenue is booked to the province of the registered office, which may differ from where activity takes place.
- Companies that have not filed a statement count in company totals but add no revenue.
- The South is defined as 14 provinces and other definitions would change the shares.
- Informal and unregistered trade is not captured.
Methodology
Company counts and total reported revenue per province come from the Department of Business Development registry aggregate, as of 17 July 2026. The South here means 14 provinces: Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Phang-nga, Krabi, Phuket, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Revenue is summed from filed financial statements, so companies without a filing add zero. Revenue per company divides province revenue by all registered companies in that province, which understates firms that did file.
How we verified this
- Deep South companies: 3,500 + 3,909 + 4,158 = 11,567.
- Deep South revenue: 54.375 + 46.162 + 36.327 = 136.864 billion baht.
- Sum of the 14 southern provinces: 179,033 companies and 2,342.095 billion baht.
- Company share: 11,567 / 179,033 = 6.46 percent. Revenue share: 136.864 / 2,342.095 = 5.84 percent.
- Songkhla vs trio: 28,543 / 11,567 = 2.47 times for companies. 657.220 / 136.864 = 4.80 times for revenue. 136.864 / 657.220 = 20.8 percent.
- Revenue per company: trio 136.864 billion / 11,567 = 11.83 million baht. South 2,342.095 billion / 179,033 = 13.08 million baht.
- Rows queried carry computed_at 17 July 2026, newer than the guide's 7 July anchors, so the live values were used.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates [Data set]. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
Frequently asked questions
How many companies are registered in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat?
There are 11,567 in total as of 17 July 2026: Pattani 3,500, Yala 3,909 and Narathiwat 4,158.
How does the Deep South compare with Songkhla?
Songkhla has 28,543 companies and 657.2 billion baht of revenue. The three Deep South provinces together have 11,567 companies and 136.9 billion baht.
Which Deep South province has the highest revenue per company?
Pattani, at about 15.5 million baht per registered company, ahead of Yala at 11.8 million baht and Narathiwat at 8.7 million baht.
Does this include informal businesses?
No. The registry counts registered juristic persons, so sole traders and unregistered shops are outside these figures.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat Business Base vs the South (2026). Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/thailands-deep-south-border-provinces-pattani-yala-narathiwat-business-2026
Data & corrections
Download the data (CSV)Spot something off, or want to ask about the data? Email insights@maxsolutions.co.th. We publish corrections.
Written by
Chatpong L.Founder, Max Data, Max Solutions Co., Ltd.
Chatpong L. leads Max Data, a company-intelligence platform built on Thailand's official business registry. He writes about the structure of the Thai economy using primary registry data. His work covers company formation, industry concentration, and regional business activity.
Related insights
This page reports company-level and aggregate statistics only. It names no individuals and makes no claims about any person. Figures are provided for information and may be revised as source data updates.