The Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University was established according to the Third National Economic and Educational Development Plan. The University Council accepted the princeple for establishing the Faculty of Medicine on September 11, 1986 and Hat-yai campus was selected as the site of the Faculty of Medicine on December 15, 1972.
The first class of 36 medical student was enrolled in June, 1973. Both the premedical and preclinical courses, a total of 4 years, were given in the Faculty of Science, while Hat-Yai and Songkhla Provincial Hospitals were used as teaching hospitals for 5th and 6th year clinical students. Songkhla Neurological Hospital and Suratthani Psychiatric Hospital were used for psychiatric training. In addition, various health centers in the 14 southern provinces were used for field work training in community medicine.
Their Majesties, the King and the Queen, laid the Foundation Stone of the University Hospital on August 26, 1976 and graciously named this hospital "Songklanakarind Hospital" on April 30, 1980.
The partially constructed Songklanagarind Hospital started with 100 beds and began its in-patient and out-patient services on February 22, 1982. The emergency room opened on March 15, 1983.
The bed capacity was increased to 246 beds by September 30, 1983, and to 312 beds at the end of October 1983. Towards the end of 1984, the hospital si expected to increase its capacity to 450 beds. The number of beds will gradually increase as additional medical and paramedical personnel become available. A full capacity of 750 beds is expected by 1997.