BANGKOK, 18 August 2022 – Malaysia has finally lifted sanctions on its border on 1st April 2022, marking the end of travelling restrictions into the country. Leveraging this new development, Tourism Malaysia has decided to embark on its first sales mission to two (2) major cities in Thailand, namely Songkhla and Bangkok, from 15 until 19 August 2022, after more than two years of hiatus.

The trip kicks off in the city of Songkhla, followed by Bangkok, and is led by the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri together with Malaysia’s tourism fraternity which consists of Malaysia-based airlines, travel agents, hoteliers, and product owners.

Thailand has been and remains as one of Malaysia’s essential short-haul markets. In 2019, Malaysia welcomed 1,884,306 arrivals from Thailand, and almost 70 per cent of Thais tourists were repeat travellers. Apart from its objective to instil confidence among Thais to feel safe to visit Malaysia once again, the sales mission aims to provide a platform for the industry community to bounce back and return even stronger.

Dato’ Sri Nancy said, “The past two years have been tremendously challenging for us, but ever since the reopening of our international border last April, I am glad to let you know that we have surpassed our initial target of 2 million international tourist arrivals with RM8.6 billion in tourism receipts. Hence, we have revised our target of welcoming 4.5 million international tourist arrivals with RM11.1 billion in tourism receipts this year as we are optimistic about achieving higher numbers.”

“We are delighted to have Thai travellers experience our newly developed and latest attractions, including our outdoor theme park in the highlands – the newly-opened Genting SkyWorld, and the magnificent Merdeka 118 Tower in Kuala Lumpur, currently standing as the world’s second-tallest building,” she added.

Since the reopening of its borders, Thailand is on the top four arrivals to Malaysia. Malaysia opened its shores for quarantine-free travel on 1st April 2022 to welcome fully-vaccinated international travellers. From 1st August 2022, the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia has announced the relaxation of requirements for travellers to enter Malaysia.

Travellers are no longer required to fill in the Traveller’s Card, or undergo a Pre-Departure Test (PDT) and On Arrival Test (OAT) for their visit to Malaysia. Travel insurance is also no longer a prerequisite for foreigners entering the country.

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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. For more information, visit Tourism Malaysia’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

For enquiries, please contact:

Zalina Ahmad
Deputy Director
International Promotion Division (ASEAN)
zalina@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8252

Muadz Samat
Assistant Director
Corporate Communications Division
muadz@tourism.gov.my
Tel: +603 8891 8755