RANTAU PANJANG: The number of Malaysians travelling to southern Thailand has declined, with only 1.15 million visitors recorded between January and October this year following several security incidents, including bomb attacks in the region.
Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) Rantau Panjang commander Siti Khadijah Hamzah said the figure was significantly lower than the 1.7 million visitors recorded throughout 2025.
She said the decline was believed to be partly attributable to several security incidents in southern Thailand, including bombings in Narathiwat, Pattani and Sungai Golok.
“These incidents have affected the movement of visitors from Malaysia to Thailand, as they have raised concerns among Malaysians about travelling to the neighbouring country,” she said.
Siti Khadijah said the trend reflected a slight decline in visitor numbers this year, which she believed was largely influenced by the security situation in border areas.
She was speaking to reporters at the Rantau Panjang Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex here today.
She said most travellers crossing the Kelantan-Thailand border were Malaysians and Thais, with many using border passes to enter and leave the country.
Despite the decline in visitor numbers, she said border security operations remained at normal levels, with tighter controls in place to ensure public safety and safeguard the border.
“So far, there have been no untoward incidents along the Rantau Panjang border. We continue to strengthen security controls as usual,” she said.
In a separate development, Siti Khadijah said MCBA’s Rantau Panjang operations seized various goods worth more than RM420,000 last year.
She said the value of seizures recorded between January and October this year had exceeded RM260,000.