Tambons Dusong Yo and Chanae were separated from Ra-ngae district to create Chanae minor district (king amphoe) on 15 July 1983.

Neighboring districts are (from the west clockwise): Betong, and Than To of Yala province; Sisakhon, Ra-ngae, and Sukhirin of Narathiwat province and the state Perak of Malaysia.

In 1963, the Thai government launched the Nikhom Sang Ton Eng Pak Tai ('self-development community in the south') program to move families from Thailand's northeastern and central provinces to the Chanae and Sukhirin Districts of Narathiwat.

[3] Chanae is divided into four sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 31 administrative villages (mubans).

There are four sub-district administrative organizations (SAO) in the district: This Narathiwat Province location article is a stub.