Narathiwat is one of the four Thai provinces which have a Muslim majority; 82% are Muslim and only 17.9% are Buddhist. Also 80.4% speak the Patani Malay as their first language.[2] Narathiwat Malays are very similar in ethnicity and culture to the Malays of Kelantan, Malaysia.
The inhabitants of Narathiwat are largely farmers and fishermen.[6] On account of the religion, Narathiwat is an area with various religious places of historical significance.