MORE than RM100 million flowed into Thailand over the Malaysia Day long weekend as nearly 100,000 Malaysian tourists visited the country’s five southern provinces, with each spending at least RM1,000.
The amount takes into account a visitor or family spending a minimum of RM1,000 over the four-day holiday weekend in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.
Utusan Malaysia reported Thailand-Southeast Asia Halal Tourism and Trade Association president Aida Oujeh said Malaysians have been flocking to popular tourist spots such as Hatyai, Songkhla, Krabi, and Satun, noting that 32,000 hotel rooms were fully booked between Sept 12 and 23, with visitors spending between RM600 and RM3,000 per trip.
“Thailand, especially in the five southern regions of Thailand, continues to be the choice of Malaysian visitors, especially during weekends and school holidays.
“Malaysian tourists were recorded at the highest level, particularly in the five southern regions of Thailand including Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Satun,” she said as quoted by Utusan.
From last January until the middle of September, almost two million Malaysian tourists were recorded going on holiday to Thailand with money flowing out reaching RM2 billion.
During the long weekend last week, Malaysia’s border gates, especially at Padang Besar and Wang Kelian, have been crowded with vehicles starting to line up as long as one kilometre early in the morning to go on holiday in the country of white elephants.
Private vehicles, buses and tourist vans from Malaysia are also seen crowding around waiting for their turn at the Padang Besar entry border for the documentation process to enter Thailand starting at 6am.
At the national border gate at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex (ICQS) in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, it was reported that more than 51,000 tourists passed through the border gate last Thursday and Friday with the number continuing to increase.
The exchange rate of Malaysian ringgit (RM) with Thai baht is currently RM100 equal to 770 baht — TMR
