A view of the Malaysian-Thai border at Wang Kelian on Thursday. — Bernama
SONGKHLA: Malaysians entering Thailand through the Thailand-Malaysia land border must always adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the authorities.
Malaysian Consul General in Songkhla, Muhammad Ridzuan Abu Yazid, advised Malaysians who will visit Thailand through Sadao (Songkhla province)-Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah) and Wang Prachan (Satun)-Wang Kelian (Perlis) to get more information from the embassy and consulates.
"Malaysians who enter Thailand should really understand the SOPs set to avoid any inconveniences, and that they should contact the embassy or the consul-general's office directly if something happens," he said here today.
From April 1, the Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam and Wang Prachan-Wang Kelian border gates will be reopened to tourists who have completed the Covid-19 vaccine.
Tourists who will enter through the land border gate under the "Test & Go" programme must apply for "Thailand Pass" online at least seven days before travel.
Travellers under the "Test & Go" programme will also need to make an advance booking at a designated hotel as well as perform an RT-PCR test on the first day of arrival, followed by a self-antigen test on the fifth day. In addition, they have to buy medical insurance with a minimum coverage of US$20,000 (RM84,210).
Meanwhile, tour operators in Songkhla are making preparation to welcome the arrival of tourists, especially from Malaysia, using the land border starting tomorrow.
The opening of the Thailand-Malaysia land border after two years of closure to curb the spread of Covid-19 is seen as a means to revive the badly affected tourism industry.
Most of the tour operators, when met, were elated on the prospect of the arrival of tourists.
Hotel operator Sitthipong Sitthiprapha said the opening of the Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam land border starting tomorrow is an important starting point for reviving southern Thailand’s tourism industry.
"Although the number of tourist arrivals is not expected to be as many as before COVID-19 in 2019, the reopening of the land border is expected to have a positive impact on the tourism industry, and boost revenue and economic activities," he said.
In 2019, Thailand recorded almost 40 million visitors, including 4.1 million visitors from Malaysia.
