Travel distance, low cost cause Malaysian students in Thailand to cross Golok River

In a worrying trend, 34 Malaysian students residing in Thailand are opting for a perilous journey across the Golok River to reach their schools, a decision driven primarily by the significantly lower cost compared to official border crossings. This risky practice, involving small boats operated by local boatmen, highlights a concerning disregard for safety in favor of affordability.

The stark cost difference – a mere RM4 for the river crossing versus RM10 for the official Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) complex route – is compelling parents to encourage their children to use these illegal crossing points. This situation raises serious alarms for the police, who fear that these young students, some as young as 10 years old, could be exploited as drug mules for smuggling operations between Thailand and Malaysia.

“

The cost difference causes parents to encourage their children to go to school using illegal crossings, making students willing to take the risk of crossing the Golok River to go to school.

Recent reports indicate that these students, ranging from seven to 16 years old and attending various secondary, primary, and religious schools, were detained by the General Operations Force (PGA) after crossing the border illegally. While they have since been released on police bail, the underlying issue of students undertaking such dangerous journeys remains a critical concern. The authorities are determined to prevent a recurrence of past incidents where children were used in illicit activities, emphasizing the need for vigilance and stricter enforcement at border areas.

“

We are concerned that these students, aged 10 and below, are being used as drug mules to smuggle drugs from Thailand into this country. This has been reported before and we do not want the same incident to happen again.