SONGKHLA, Thailand – A Thai senator has urged the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to take immediate action after thousands of Malaysian tourists reportedly endured hours-long delays at border checkpoints, with some forced to spend the night in their vehicles after being unable to cross back into Malaysia. Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, a senator representing the media sector, said between 30,000 and 40,000 Malaysian visitors travelling through the Sadao and Padang Besar border checkpoints during the Eid al-Adha holiday period from May 29 to June 2 experienced severe congestion caused by immigration and customs procedures.
According to the senator, tourists faced waiting times of three to four hours as officials processed immigration documents and inspected vehicles entering and leaving Thailand.
He said the problem has persisted for more than a decade during major holidays and festival periods, with little progress made in streamlining border procedures despite repeated complaints from travelers and tourism operators. Chaiyong described the latest incident as one of the most serious on record, claiming that many tourists were still trapped on the Thai side when Malaysian authorities closed the border gates at the end of operating hours. As a result, some visitors were forced to sleep in their cars or seek overnight accommodation while waiting for the checkpoint to reopen the following day. He warned that such scenes create a poor impression of Thailand’s readiness to welcome international visitors and risk damaging the reputation of Songkhla and the wider southern tourism industry.
The senator called for reforms including the digitization of immigration and customs paperwork, greater use of online systems for vehicle entry permits, and measures to reduce bottlenecks during peak travel periods. He also urged the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, immigration authorities, customs officials, provincial leaders, and other relevant agencies to work together to resolve what he described as a long-standing problem that continues to undermine tourism in southern Thailand.
Chaiyong said he plans to refer the issue to relevant Senate committees, which may summon agencies involved for explanations and conduct site visits to develop long-term solutions.
