Narathiwat is one of the few points where the Thai and Malay Worlds meet and mingle with that of the Overseas Chinese. This has resulted in an intriguingly complex social system, where Thai-speaking Buddhists control the bureaucracy, ethnic Chinese manage the urban economy, and Malay-speaking Muslims farm the countryside and fish the seas. Narathiwat is a quiet, secluded little town of around 40,000 people - one of the smallest provincial capitals in Thailand - with a character all of its own. Many of the buildings are wooden structures, clustered along two parallel streets by the bank of the Bang Nara River.