According to the survey and study of archaeological sites in Songkhla and Phatthalung, the land community areas can be clearly defined into three major areas as follows: areas from Hua Khao Daeng to Khlong Pa-O, areas at the mouth of Khlong Sathing Mo and Muang Sathing Phra (Cha Thing Phra).

Songkhla City was located in Hua Khao Daeng in the late Ayutthaya period. It was a port city ruled by a Persian descendant, Sultan Sulaiman. Meanwhile, Khlong Sathing Mo was possibly an ancient community that accommodated trading vessels as shown by the remains of pottery from various eras. Archaeological discoveries such as man-made moats surrounding Muang Sathing Phra and Chinese glazed pottery reveal that Muang Sathing Phra was not only a ‘city’, but also a flourishing seaport city.

While Phatthalung City developed from ‘Muang Chai Buri’ during the Ayutthaya period, on the coastal side of the lake lies Singora, the precursor to Songkhla City, which began to develop in the Khao Hua Daeng area at the mouth of Songkhla Lake. Sultan Sulaiman, the ruler of Songkhla City at the time, declared independence from Ayutthaya. He heavily fortified Songkhla with city walls and moats. Sulaiman’s Songkhla City covered three mountains including Khao Daeng, Hua Khao and Khao Khiew and their surrounding areas. The coastal areas around Hua Khao have been densely populated since Ayutthaya period until present day.

After Songkhla City in the north of Khao Daeng was destroyed in the reign of King Narai the Great, residential communities were then built around the Songkhla Lake area. There were Buddhist, Chinese and Muslim settlements at both Laem Son and Bo Yang which later became Songkhla City during the Thon Buri and Bangkok periods.