Thai tourist buses allowed to enter Malaysia

By VNA May 13, 2024 | 03:27 pm PT

Tourists gather in front of a giant eagle sculpture at Eagle Square on Langkawi Island, Malaysia, April 27, 2018. Photo by Reuters

Buses from Thailand are allowed to enter Malaysia to bring in tourists, provided they apply for temporary permits from the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) in advance, said Malaysian Minister of Transport Anthony Loke.

Talking to the press on May 13, Loke said these tour bus operators must furnish complete information, including details of the tour package, the number of passengers and the location of the accommodation. This regulation applies to all states, not just border states like Kedah and Kelantan.

According to the official statistics, about 4.56 million tourists from Malaysia visited Thailand in 2023, accounting for 16.2% of the total foreign arrivals in the country.

As of November 2023, 3 million Malaysian tourists entered Thailand, especially Hatyai. In the same period, about 700,000 Thai tourists were recorded to have entered Malaysia.