Malaysia opens doors to Thai tourist buses
Published on: Monday, May 13, 2024
By: FMT
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook says Thai tourist buses can now enter all states with approval from Apad, but that restrictions remain on vans. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Thai tourist buses are now permitted to enter all states in Malaysia upon application to the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), says transport minister Loke Siew Fook.
Loke said the decision was made following a recent meeting, Berita Harian reported.
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“They (Thai tourist buses) only need to apply to Apad for a temporary permit and provide specific information, such as the tour packages, number of passengers, and accommodation locations,” he was quoted as saying after officiating Phase 1 of upgrades to the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (LTSIP).
“We are restricting vans from Thailand due to concerns about them picking up passengers in Malaysia and affecting our local tourism industry.”
It was previously reported that the Kelantan government would meet with Loke in April to discuss restrictions on the entry of Thai tourist buses into border states.
Loke had said that the states bordering Thailand could appeal for the green light for tourist buses to enter Malaysia.
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“I understand that our existing policy is not to allow tourist buses from Thailand to enter Malaysia. Only private cars are allowed,” he said.
“If the state governments see that there is a need to look at the policy, they can write to us to allow tourist buses from Thailand.”
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Meanwhile, Bernama reported that airlines intending to operate international flights from LTSIP must obtain permission and approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom).
“Actually, there are no issues for airlines to commence international flights from this airport, such as routes from Singapore, Thailand or any country in the Asian region. It is up to them,” he said.
In May, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Putrajaya had agreed with the Kelantan government’s proposal to extend the runway at LTSIP by 400m for it to become an international airport.
Phase 1 of the new LTSIP terminal began operations on May 1 and can accommodate 1.5 million passengers. Construction of Phase 2, expected to cater to four million passengers, is slated to begin immediately.
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