Yala 6.77

Yala is a city and seat of Mueang Yala District and Yala Province, southern Thailand. The provincial and district capital, it is 137 kilometres by road southeast of Hat Yai. The eastern part of the city is part of the neighboring tambon of Sateng Nok. As of 2010 the tambon had a total population of 76,853, up from 65,503 people reported in 2005. It lies on the border with Pattani Province in the north of Yala Province. It lies on Thailand Route 4106, south of Khao Tum and north of Krong Pinang and has a railway station on the Yala Railway. Yala is approximately 1,100 km south of Bangkok.HistoryYala used to be part of the Pattani kingdom. When Ayutthaya was captured by the Burmese, Yala, along with other southern colonies, became independent. Yala was again included as part of Thailand about 41 years later. In September 1977, the King and Queen of Thailand narrowly avoided assassination after a bomb exploded nearby during a visit. On 9 October, policemen from the 12th Provincial Police Headquarters and the Yala Provincial Police Headquarters arrested Abdun Romae Haron, Mae Prachu, and Choning Saing on charges of conspiring with the escaped convicts Hayi Masae, Choya Samae, and Abdun Romae in attempting to kill the monarchs.