The name Satun is a Thai version of

The name Satun is a Thai version of its original Malay name, Setul (santol, or wild mangosteen tree).

Until 1813 Satun was a district of the Malay state of Kedah, then known as Setul Mambang Segara or Mukim Setul (Jawi: مقيم ستول) in Malay. After that date it was administered by a governor sent from Nakhon Si Thammarat. In 1897 Satun became part of Monthon Saiburi (now Kedah), which in 1909 was divided between British Empire and Siam as part of Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909. While most of Kedah was ceded to Britain, Satun was awarded to Siam because it had a relatively large Thai population. Satun was then incorporated into Monthon Phuket. The monthon system was ended in 1933, and Satun province became a first-level subdivision of Thailand.