Thousands of Malaysians Still Head to Southern Thailand, Ignoring Safety Warning – Police

KOTA BHARU: The desire to experience a holiday abroad has been identified as one of the main factors driving thousands of Malaysians to ignore safety warnings and be willing to queue for long hours to enter southern Thailand, especially during the festive season and school holidays.

Kelantan Police Chief, Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat, said daily observations at the three legal entry points or Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) complexes in the state, namely Rantau Panjang in Pasir Mas, Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat and Bukit Bunga in Tanah Merah, show a high volume of cross-border traffic.

He said on normal days, approximately 3,000 individuals are recorded crossing the border, increasing to more than 4,000 movements on weekends.

“When the school holidays arrive, that number increases significantly, reaching between 6,000 and 7,000 people per day. Overall, the movements of border pass and passport holders can reach 10,000 people per day.

“We constantly remind the public that the security situation in southern Thailand is unpredictable. When and where an explosion or shooting incident will occur, no one knows.

“The travel warning issued by Wisma Putra since last year remains in force until now, yet many of our citizens are seen ignoring it and remain willing to queue for long hours,” he said.

Factors driving people to visit the region

Commenting on the factors driving people to visit the region, Mohd Yusoff said, based on observations, Kelantan still needs more tourism products and family recreation locations that are capable of attracting locals to holiday within the state.

Foreign country separated by a river

He said the psychological factor of a community that is fanatical about the notion of a foreign holiday as an added value also plays a role.

“Our citizens, when they get a passport stamp, they already consider it a foreign holiday, even though the destination is only separated by a river.

“In addition, the financial factor is also a draw because the competitive exchange rate of the neighbouring country’s currency allows them to feel good about splurging there,” he said.

He said the majority of locals cross the border only for simple matters such as enjoying authentic Thai food, strolling through night markets, and buying snacks and popular products at convenience store chains before returning on the same day.

Proposes transformation of border towns

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff suggested that the state government and relevant parties consider transforming border towns such as Rantau Panjang based on the development model of Padang Besar in Perlis.

He said this would be a two-pronged approach to revitalise the local economy and reduce the outflow of the country’s currency.

He said the development of more organised business complexes with a rest and recreation (R&R) area concept would be able to attract domestic tourists without them needing to cross the border.

Follow Padang Besar’s success

He said Padang Besar’s success proves that the concept works when a shopping centre built there successfully attracted Thai traders to market various products such as clothing, essential goods and authentic Thai food legally in Malaysia.

“If the same concept can be implemented in Kelantan, we will not only be able to attract more tourists, but also reduce the tendency of our citizens to cross the border just to shop or visit night markets.

“Moreover, the culture and food of the communities in both areas are not very different,” he said.

Rejects claims of strict enforcement

In a related development, Mohd Yusoff rejected claims by certain parties that blame strict police enforcement and control at the border as the reason the Rantau Panjang and Pengkalan Kubor duty-free zones have become quiet.

He stressed that the economic decline in both border towns had actually begun earlier, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic, the community’s spending patterns changed drastically as more people chose to buy Thai products online,” he said.

According to him, the online shopping trend has had a major impact on traditional physical businesses, therefore border towns can no longer rely on old business methods.

Instead, these areas need to be given a new lease of life through business concepts that are more relevant to current consumer demands, including making them hubs for popular Thai products and food.

“Rantau Panjang needs to be seen as a destination that requires renewal. Create more attractive business premises and bring in high-demand products from Thailand.

“That is among the best solutions to revitalise the economy of the border town,” he said.

Bernama