Malaysia and Thailand have joined hands to promote cross-border tourism through the launch of a ‘self-drive’ initiative aimed at raising awareness of tourism routes and activities in both countries.

Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand jointly organised an awareness-raising event to promote cross-border tourism across country- Thai border, by launcing a special Malaysia -Thailand self drive tourism fun map. The map is a Malaysia tourism road guide highlighting attractions along the route and a reflection of Thai’s attractions on the other side of map, is truly strengthen the bonding between Malaysia and Thailand friendship, especially in promoting diversity of tourism activity between the bordering areas. The launch venue itself is unique because it is situated between the Bukit Kayu Hitam Checkpoint in Kedah, Malaysia and the Sadao Checkpoint in Songkhla Province, Thailand.

During the event, both parties flagged off the Thailand-Malaysia Self-Drive Tourism convoy, which included over 50 cars and motorcycles from both countries. More than 150 drivers and motorcyclists participated in this cross-border journey, experiencing the rich tourism offerings and engaging in cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Dr. Yasmeen Yasim, Deputy Secretary-General (Tourism) of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia, expressed Malaysia’s enthusiasm for partnering with Thailand to promote cross-border tourism. “Mooted from the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Task Force on Tourism Cooperation, this initiative aims to enrich the tourism experience while fostering deeper cultural exchange between our two nations. With a timely collaboration such as this, we are optimistic about achieving our target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals from Thailand in 2025. It reflects our shared commitment to strengthening regional ties through tourism,” she said.

Dr. Yasmeen further emphasised that this collaboration supports the upcoming Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign, which seeks to attract 35.6 million tourist arrivals. “Through efforts like this, Malaysia reaffirms its dedication to promoting seamless cross-border travel, enhancing regional tourism cooperation within ASEAN and the IMT-GT, and ensuring sustainable growth for our tourism sectors,” she added.

Miss Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, emphasised Thailand’s ongoing efforts in strengthening international relations through tourism. “The Royal Thai Government, through the operation of TAT and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, continually seeks opportunities to enhance Thailand as a global tourism destination and promote cross-border tourism with neighbouring ASEAN countries, especially Malaysia. Currently, Malaysia ranks as the second-largest source market for tourists visiting Thailand, after China.”

Preliminary statistics show that from 1 January to 30 September 2024, Thailand welcomed more than 3.7 million Malaysian tourists, 49.33% of whom entered through the Sadao Immigration Checkpoint in Songkhla Province. Meanwhile, as of August 2024, Malaysia received 1.1 million tourists from Thailand, an increase of 19.7% compared to the same period last year.