Thai army warns southerners against illegal border crossings

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED: 23 Dec 2024 at 13: 32

Border patrol police wait to check people crossing the Golok river from Kelantan state in Malaysia to Sungai Kolok district in Narathiwat province. (Photo: Bangkok Post)
Border patrol officers guard the Golok River crossing point between Sungai Kolok area in Narathiwat province and Kelantan state in Malaysia. ( Photo: Bangkok Post )

Because of strict controls in place there, the southern army captain has warned people living along the border to avoid entering Malaysia improperly.

Many locals use bridges on the Golok river to avoid legal channels, bridge back and forth to see relatives or do business, and do so to avoid legal channels. Some Thai individuals attend near Malaysian schools, and some Malaysians make quick stops to check out the entertainment.

Lt. Gen. Paisan Nusang, the head of the Third Army Region, warned that if they illegally cross the border into Malaysia’s neighboring Kelantan state, they could face detention and legal action. &nbsp, &nbsp,

According to Malaysia’s Bernama information company,” Some Thai people have been detained by Malaysian government for crossing the border using illegal roads in Sungai Kolok.” &nbsp,

The southern army chief, according to the report, issued the alert in response to questions posed by Indonesian reporters in Songkhla province on Saturday.

He has for the first time reacted to Malaysia’s decision to take serious actions against those who enter the country illegally from Narathiwat to fight smuggling and other border crimes. Indonesian authorities occasionally refer to&nbsp, the unlawful bridges as “rat pathways”.

Even though it might have an impact on commerce, Lt. Gen. Paisan described the Malaysian’s decision as a “positive and correct step” to handle the border. &nbsp,