Kelantan Residents Postpone Travel to Thailand Amid Southern Thailand Violence

The normally bustling Pengkalan Kubor Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Border Security (ICQS) Complex in Tumpat was eerily quiet this past weekend. Usually a hub of activity with long queues of vehicles stretching up to a kilometer during holidays, the border crossing saw very few Malaysian travelers heading into Thailand.

This significant drop in visitors is a direct response to the recent wave of violence in southern Thailand. Over 51 incidents, including bomb explosions in the provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala, have made Malaysians hesitant to travel.

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Today (yesterday) there were no long queues of vehicles outside the Pengkalan Kubor ICQS gate. Still, some Malaysians are entering and exiting Thailand, but not many, making the atmosphere here rather quiet.

Local resident Wan Derahman Wan Isa, 50, noted the stark contrast to typical weekends. "Today (yesterday) there were no long queues of vehicles outside the Pengkalan Kubor ICQS gate," he told Utusan Malaysia. "Still, some Malaysians are entering and exiting Thailand, but not many, making the atmosphere here rather quiet."

Tourists like Husna Mat Lazim, 30, who usually visits Narathiwat every two weeks, have also decided to postpone their plans. "The situation in Thailand is quite tense right now, which is why there are fewer tourists," she explained. "I usually come just to eat during the weekend holiday, but this time I have to resist the urge to go to Thailand. I will visit Narathiwat again once the violence there subsides."

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The situation in Thailand is quite tense right now, which is why there are fewer tourists. I usually come just to eat during the weekend holiday, but this time I have to resist the urge to go to Thailand. I will visit Narathiwat again once the violence there subsides.