Thai-Malaysian Border Road Opens, Boosting Economic Ties

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim presided over a ceremony opening a new road linking the Sadao checkpoint in Thailand's Songkhla province with the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint in Malaysia's Kedah state late this morning (July 10), heralding the Thai-Malaysian Economic Gateway with the aim of racking in US$30 billion revenue, Amarin TV said. At 10.45 a.m. Anutin accompanied by his wife, Thananon Charnvirakul, and his delegation crossed over from Sadao checkpoint to Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint on the Malaysian side and were welcomed by Anwar Ibrahim, his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and his team with the two premiers shaking hands and embracing. Following this, the Malaysian Prime Minister hosted a luncheon in honour of the Thai Prime Minister and his delegation and afterward, they officially opened this road with Anutin praising the close cooperation in driving development in all areas, including a commitment to peace and economic development in the southern border provinces of Thailand and northern Malaysia, aiming to create new economic opportunities for the region. Anutin added that the new Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing is not just infrastructure, but an “economic gateway” that will connect people, trade, and investment between the two countries more closely. This is one of the main transportation routes in the region, facilitating the transport of goods, tourism, and travel between the two countries. Once the connecting roads are fully operational, it will help reduce congestion at border checkpoints, decrease waiting time and logistics costs, allowing businesses to export and import goods more quickly, enabling farmers to bring their produce to market more efficiently, and benefiting transportation, tourism, hotels, restaurants, and service businesses in border provinces from easier travel. Both sides also agreed to accelerate the development of border connectivity in the Songkhla–Kedah, Satun–Perlis, and Narathiwat–Kelantan areas, coupled with the promotion of border economic zones, facilitating customs and immigration, in order to increase economic opportunities for the people of both countries. Thailand and Malaysia jointly aim to expand trade value to US$30 billion. Trade through the Sadao border crossing alone accounts for over 80% of all Thai-Malaysian border trade, reflecting the area’s role as a heart of trade and logistics between the two countries. The Sadao border crossing is located in Samnak Kham subdistrict, Sadao District, within the Songkhla Special Economic Zone. The project covers over 596 rai and features 11 vehicle inspection lanes on each side, 14 immigration lanes on each side, and a Cargo Terminal with eight lanes per day for trucks. It is equipped with two Fast Scan X-ray systems and truck weighing scales to increase the speed and accuracy of goods clearance. Furthermore, Anutin also received a US$2 billion grant from the Asian Development Bank to support impact mitigation efforts and to restore and repair the damage from the devastating floods in Songkhla province last year. The new Sadao customs checkpoint was completed in 2019 but could not be opened due to the lack of a connecting road to the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint on the Malaysian side. Both countries had discussed this issue since 2020 and agreed to construct the connecting road, which commenced in 2024 was officially opened today, and it will be usable by the public from tomorrow July 11, TV Channel 7 said. This and Front Page: Thai Prime Minister Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim opening this key road. Photos – Amarin TV