Satun, having a population of about 22,000, is the gateway to Thailand's southern islands at the side of Andaman Sea. It is only a few kilometres from the Andaman coast but a whopping 940km from Bangkok. Although a majority Muslim population town, Satun has largely escaped the strife that plagues some of the neighboring provinces such as Narathiwat and Pattani, Satun is safe and very friendly place to visit. http://wikitravel.org/en/Satun