Founded in 1992, Walailak University (WU.) is a public university located in Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. Although state funded, Walailak University is given a high level of autonomy, unusual among Thai public universities.

Nakhon Si Thammarat province is a province (changwat) of Thailand, on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. As of 2018, it was the most populous province of Southern Thailand, with a population of approximately 1.5 million. Neighboring provinces are Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Krabi and Surat Thani.