BUKIT KAYU HITAM, 26 October 2024 – Malaysia and Thailand have joined hands to promote cross-border tourism through the launch of a ‘self-drive’ initiative today aimed at raising awareness of tourism routes and activities in both countries.

Tourism Malaysia, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand jointly organised a promotional event to boost cross-border tourism at the parking area of The Zon Duty Free Complex. This venue is located between the Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint in Kedah, Malaysia and the Sadao Checkpoint in Songkhla Province, Thailand.

During the event, both parties flagged off the Thailand-Malaysia Self-Drive Tourism convoy, which included over 50 cars and motorcycles from both Malaysia and Thailand. More than 150 drivers and motorcyclists participated in this cross-border journey, experiencing the rich tourism offerings and engaging in cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Dr. Yasmeen Yasim, Deputy Secretary-General (Tourism) of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia, expressed Malaysia’s enthusiasm for partnering with Thailand to promote cross-border tourism. "This initiative aims to enrich the tourism experience while fostering deeper cultural exchange between our two nations. With a timely collaboration such as this, we are optimistic about achieving our target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals from Thailand in 2025. It reflects our shared commitment to strengthening regional ties through tourism," she said.

Dr. Yasmeen further emphasised that this collaboration supports the upcoming Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which seeks to attract 35.6 million tourist arrivals. "Through efforts like this, Malaysia reaffirms its dedication to promoting seamless cross-border travel, enhancing regional tourism cooperation within ASEAN and the IMT-GT, and ensuring sustainable growth for our tourism sectors," she added.

Miss Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, emphasised Thailand’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international relations through tourism. “The Royal Thai Government, through the operation of TAT and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, continually seeks opportunities to enhance Thailand as a global tourism destination and promote cross-border tourism with neighbouring ASEAN countries, especially Malaysia. Currently, Malaysia ranks as the second-largest source market for tourists visiting Thailand, after China.”

Preliminary statistics show that from 1 January to 30 September 2024, Thailand welcomed more than 3.7 million Malaysian tourists, 49.33% of whom entered through the Sadao Immigration Checkpoint in Songkhla Province. Meanwhile, as of August 2024, Malaysia received 1.1 million tourists from Thailand, an increase of 19.7% compared to the same period last year.

To learn more, visit https://www.malaysia.travel/explore/malaysia-thail...

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About Tourism Malaysia

Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia, is an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia. It focuses on the specific task of promoting Malaysia as a preferred tourism destination. Since its inception, it has emerged as a major player in the international tourism scene.

The next Visit Malaysia Year, set to take place in 2026, will commemorate the sustainability of the nation's tourism industry, which is also in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

Furthermore, Tourism Malaysia actively endorses the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), working towards the realization of the IMT-GT Visiting Year 2023-2025, with the shared aim of promoting the region as a unified tourism destination. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

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