The name Pattani is the Thai derivation of Patani (Jawi: ڤتنا). Its original name could mean 'this beach' in Patani Malay language. (In standard Malay, this would be "Pantai Ini".) Another theory is the name comes from Pathini, which can be translated as a "virgin nymph" in the Sanskrit language. Pathini was the name of the daughter of Merong Mahawangsa, founder of the preceding Langkasuka Empire. [1]
Historically, Pattani province was the centre of the Malay Sultanate of Patani Darul Makrif. For centuries a tributary state of Siam, Pattani has been governed by Siam since its conquest in 1785. Siamese rule was officially acknowledged by the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 negotiated with the British Empire. Both Yala (Jala) and Narathiwat (Menara) were originally part of Patani, but were made provinces of their own during the territorial administrative reform and the creation of a united centralized Siam state.