Malaysia, Thailand boost tourism with new self-drive routes

In a groundbreaking move to promote cross-border tourism, Malaysia and Thailand have jointly launched a ‘self-drive’ tourism initiative aimed at raising awareness of travel routes and activities across both countries. The initiative was inaugurated with a flag-off ceremony at The Zon Duty-Free Complex, located between the Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint in Kedah, Malaysia, and the Sadao Checkpoint in Songkhla Province, Thailand.

The convoy, consisting of over 50 cars and motorcycles from both Malaysia and Thailand, saw more than 150 participants embarking on a journey aimed at fostering cultural exchange and showcasing the tourism offerings of each country. “This initiative aims to enrich the tourism experience while fostering deeper cultural exchange between our two nations,” said Dr. Yasmeen Yasim, Deputy Secretary-General (Tourism) of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia.

Strengthening regional tourism

Malaysia and Thailand have ambitious targets for mutual tourist arrivals, bolstered by this initiative. Dr. Yasmeen shared that the cross-border tourism efforts align with Malaysia’s Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which aims to attract 35.6 million tourist arrivals. She stated, “We are optimistic about achieving our target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals from Thailand in 2025. This reflects our shared commitment to strengthening regional ties through tourism.”

Supporting these efforts, Miss Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), emphasized Thailand’s dedication to promoting regional tourism within ASEAN. “The Royal Thai Government continually seeks opportunities to enhance Thailand as a global tourism destination, especially Malaysia. Currently, Malaysia ranks as the second-largest source market for tourists visiting Thailand, after China.” she noted.

According to recent statistics, from January to September 2024, Thailand welcomed over 3.7 million Malaysian tourists, with almost half entering via the Sadao Checkpoint. Malaysia, too, saw an increase in Thai visitors, with over 1.1 million arrivals as of August 2024, marking a 19.7% rise compared to last year.

Future plans for cross-border tourism

The self-drive initiative forms part of a broader vision to promote seamless travel within the region. Malaysia and Thailand have introduced a Self-Drive Tourism Fun Map to guide tourists, covering interesting attractions and essential facilities along the route. Tourists can access this information online for both Thailand-Malaysia and other ASEAN routes.

Additionally, TAT is looking to further enhance travel convenience between the countries by expanding rail tourism options. In collaboration with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB), a direct train route from Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai Station in Songkhla has been established. Plans for a charter train, “My Sawasdee,” on the Kuala Lumpur-Padang Besar-Hat Yai route during peak holiday periods will also support this effort.

With this initiative and future developments, TAT expects cross-border tourism to significantly contribute to its target of 36.7 million international arrivals and a tourism revenue of 3.5 trillion Baht by the end of 2024.