Wang Kelian and Wang Prachan Belatedly Wanting

Macaques roamed freely the extent of the surrounding forest that covered the border between Wang Kelian, Perlis and Wang Prachan, Satun. For the macaques, these monkeys don't have borders and they seem to be satisfied with the exploits on both sides of the border as humans leave a trail of food in the rubbish bins at the borders. These creatures have already formed a liking and had learned to open up the rubbish bins and looked for the contents. Disappointed, on what's available in the bins, they left a trail of thrown rubbish by the side of the bins.

Macaques foraging for food that in the rubbish bins

It's a quiet evening and I have arrived at Wang Kelian, Perlis on March 8, 2019, in a rented Perodua Axia just a while ago in Arau, Perlis. The border posts are closed at 7pm, every day. I was 18 minutes late and was assuming that perhaps there could be a cross border night market. I was mistaken. At the sight of the macaques, I was thrilled. However, on a closer observation at the border post, it looked deserted, locked and ICQS staff have gone home. There were a few Thai citizens at a covered bus stand, just outside the public toilet, and another couple further down the road sitting under an undergrowth. They looked tired, dejected from an arduous journey (in Thailand) and apparently were (patiently) waiting for some public transportation to fetch them to other localities in Malaysia.

Welcoming Sign, Wang Kelian, on the side next to it is the public toilet

Closed at 7pm daily

As I proceed to closer to the ICQS checkpoint, I noticed that the whole structure belongs to Malaysia, today. It used to be a shared facility between Malaysia and Thailand. How it functioned before was, the Southern end of the building was run by Malaysian ICQS, and the Northern end, by the Thai immigration and security. Thai immigration today have their own ICQS post and checkpoint. I am very sure that this only happened after the massacre and incident that happened just not too far away in the forests around here. This incident that was uncovered on 1 May 2015 and an additional 139 mass graves were discovered on May 24 the same year. It was the Thai authorities who discovered the murders, initially on some other homicide cases in Satun, and later, the case became delicate on their end and ended cooperating with the Malaysian authorities that found mass graves on the side of our border.

A lengthier probe and investigation led to the conviction to a very senior security figure in Bangkok and today, Malaysia is relaunching the Royal Commission Inquiry into the Wang Kelian massacre. No arrests were made on the Malaysian side. In 2018, the US State Department in its Human Trafficking Report downgraded Malaysia into the Tier 2 cluster - An undesirable cluster that includes countries that are considered violators of human trafficking laws.

It's of no surprise Thailand did their part in rooting out culprits behind the tragedy and the expose of the intricate human trafficking cartel. Hence, they wanted a new beginning, proper facilities, technologies, and more effective laws. Tourism is the number one revenue income for the country and in order to thwart tragedies such as the Wang Kelian incident, the establishment of the procedures, enhanced protocols, and the encouragement of people, travel and tourism, to upgrade a lonely facility to one that's frequented with patrons. It's a view that a lonely cross bordering checkpoint that's frequented by locals and localised traders will have lackadaisical checks and security. Smugglers and traffickers who have a recce and study these parts could enhance their strategies against those security measures. That said, land and sea borders checkpoints have always been difficult to secure because of the isolated areas. In most of the land borders, there are various ways to get across illegally and that has been identified in the other blogs in this series; for example, the Tumpat and Tak Bai crossing, even though it's across an estuarine.

Closed at 7pm, daily

This area is really a sight if it wasn't for the tragedy. It affected the border market that used to be the main attraction on both sides of the divide. Before the tragedy, the Sunday market thronged on both sides of the market but today, it's only vibrant in Wang Prachan after the Thai ICQS. The Malaysian side of the businesses looked lifeless and lacked activities in both the Duty-Free Green Earth Emporium and the 'Arked Pekan Sehari Wang Kelian' (Wang Kelian Weekday Arcade). The Arcade is basically now a defunct and empty structure.

Duty-Free Green Earth Emporium

Wang Kelian Weekday Arcade

The Arcade is massive but there's no business

Such wasteful resources

With that, on the very next day upon my return, I didn't bother to waste time on the Malaysian side. Eager to know what's on the other side I decided to prod to the immigration and beyond. Wang Kelian-Wang Prachan border only accommodates mostly travellers and traders on both sides of the divide. It's easy to cross the Malaysian side. Customs enforcement isn't visible. But four kilometres before the immigration and just after three kilometres from the T-junction between Kaki Bukit and Wang Kelian, there's an AKSEM (Agensi Kawalan Sempadan Malaysia) roadblock. Individuals and vehicles have to declare their presence, and if requested to see identifications or documents, they have to be surfaced for inspection. Nevertheless, the checks and inspections are very much minimal. An observation, I made (at the Wang Kelian immigration post) was that a few officers just sat around the building (outside) not doing anything at all, perhaps their tasks to only observe and mingle if there are any confused travellers.

After the Malaysian immigration check, Thai immigration is about 80 metres to the Thai ICQS after the Wang Kelian immigration main gate. Just before the Thai immigration, and about 15 or 20 metres after the main gate, the Duty-Free Green Earth Emporium compound is situated on the right. The gate is opened but it seemed there were no patronisers. And just after that, the Thai ICQS compound came into view with a number of travellers mingling in the area under shady trees.

A queue extended from the 'Arrival' window of the Thai ICQS. The queue consists mostly of Malaysians and travellers either travelling in groups or individuals like me. Like all Thai immigration counters, the land borders seem to process the documents much faster than those at the airports. Most Malaysians were on their way to the town of Satun for shopping at Makro. Most other travellers prefer island or beach destinations like Ko Lipe or Pak Bara. Satun is becoming quite a gem for the island and beach travellers as many of the other islands in Southern Thailand had grown congested and expensive. There are also a lot of pickup trucks like Chevrolet Colorado, Toyota Hilux, and Ford Rangers commuting between Malaysia and Thailand. Most bore Thai plates and these pickups ply mostly to Malaysia to ferry sundry items and foodstuffs to Satun. Having said that, many of the foodstuffs like noodles, condiments, milk powder, etc., (at the border) do come from Malaysia especially in Satun, Songkhla, Narathiwat, and Jala.

Just After the Thai Immigration - A Spanking New Facility

Just Outside the Thai ICQS, the Border market

The Arked is defunct but the new Boundary Market of Thailand-Malaysia is seemingly thriving today

Just wondering whether the businesses in Malaysia have gone 'nolo contendere' since the mass graves incident that causes Malaysian border residents of Perlis and Kedah from having anything to do with Wang Kelian. If that's the case, the Perlis government have not been at the heels trying to reform the border economy on the Malaysian side. Pakatan Harapan should step in to revive the border market again.

Upon seeing what's happening, reviving the Wang Kelian's economy can help Malaysian and Thai residents forge better relations. As there's activity going on human traffickers will also shy from the areas. Having said that in the whole land border crossings, I have seen very little activity in Wang Kelian using 'Lorong Haram' or illegitimate land border crossings. In fact, it's quite impossible, after witnessing the steep ravines on both sides of the land border. In fact, not many travellers will drive to Wang Kelian, as a part of the journey is quite adventurous. Steep hillsides and the sharp upward road bends for 3 kilometres is not to someone's liking if one's not prepared for such an adventurous drive.

However, that wasn't the case. According to an anonymous Kaki Bukit aunty I spoke at the public toilet before I departed the immigration checkpoints, she deliberated that the main cause was the massive graves found in Wang Kelian. As many of these Kampung residents still believe in supernatural telltales, local residents will have to be brave to accommodate the tragedies and the telltales. The only businesses today, before the Wang Kelian checkpoints, are the food stalls near the checkpoint and a Caltex petrol station and a vibrant Thai food stall before proceeding up the steep granite mountain.

Despite the gloom on the Malaysian side, the Thai side is definitely thronging. Back then, about 11 or 12 years ago, Wang Prachan, was basically a sleepy hole for cross-border residents. There were only some stalls, which basically sold drinks and food stalls before the Thai immigration. Only on Sundays, did both the Perlis and Satun government allow a realistically cross border market that thronged not only at the Arked but also a Kilometre from the Wang Kelian side to the Wang Prachan side. Back then security was pretty lax on both sides and residents can cross the land border freely on Sundays to participate or purchase food, farm equipment or kitchen utensils, pots and pans at the market. But years back before the incident, Wang Prachan market did sell violent weapons like handguns. [There was someone in the past that photographed the handguns - At first thought, they were BB handguns, but they weren't. I tried to source it again on the web but it had since been removed.] After the incident, less violent weapons are still sold like combat knives, machetes and defensive torchlights. Moreover, Thai security authorities are hiking up and down the roadsides, and any irregularities by any traders can be apprehended upon selling or trafficking weapons.

Exotic gadgets sold at the market

Today, the Thai and Satun government just wanted to rid the negativity and hence, a flood of traders have set up more stalls stretching as long as about 1.2 Kilometres each side of the road. Most of the traders sell daily items like I have spoken before, but what caught my attention was that most of the foodstuffs, especially the condiments, biscuits, sweets, and junk foodstuff like chips, come from Malaysia. As such, not many Malaysians like myself, thronged the market if the individual did not just come for borderland's shopping spree. As for me, its to see the kind of wares they are selling. I saw a group of Malaysians, that seemed to be interested in combat knives and machetes. I did not ask them how they are going to bring across the border but in any case, if it's just the immigration checks no one will notice. AKSEM (further down the road after Wang Kelian) may seek to do a security check but when I approached them (on my way back after the market), I told them about visiting the border market and they did not seem to even bother to peek into the car or check the car boot. Sigh! That said, the AKSEM guys were very pleasant and nice.

The best to enjoy this sort of market is to walk both sides of the divide, talk to the stall holders either in Malay or Thai language. The Malay language in these parts are different again, they have the Kedah lingo, slang and accent, and the pronunciations are softspoken and audible. Unlike Malaysian stall traders, they tend to be more aggressive and hence, when any patronisers walk pass by their stalls they tend to advertise audibly in the Thai language. In Jala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, its less and perhaps more like the Malaysian traders, i.e., your choice, hence less influence.

Its Saturday, hence the activity picks up rather slow

This is Sunday, notice two security officials going up and down checking and mingling with the patrons

I bought a big packet of pistachio that's considered cheap. As the morning sun began to sizzle and am profusing as if I just stepped out of the shower, I decided to head back to the immigration checkpoints. Just before I returned, a few objects caught my observation; coaches on the far end of the trading stalls just after the military security checkpoint and bird cages in the middle of the road divider.

Buses or coaches from Bangkok. Most people from Central Thailand come to Wang Prachan to purchase Malaysian conditions and foodstuffs.

These buses, years back hardly come to this part of the province. Perhaps, the current Thai government find it important to develop these remote areas and provide jobs not only for the people in Satun but also people in the Deep South, particularly to steer them away from troubles. At this writing, and in my hotel room, I learned from Malaysian TV 3 Channel in the evening, that Satun town, that is, 35 Kilometres from Wang Prachan, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had exploded, Further up in Phatallung (province), bombs also went off in the city centre.

Whatever is the case the Thai authorities should not just be lackadaisical about their attitudes by just increasing security, military and law enforcement officials. It's not enough. Mara Patani was disgusted by the fact that one of the most senior Thai negotiators was not present at the negotiation in Kuala Lumpur.  Gen Udomchai Thammasaroraj refusal to meet with Mara Patani leader Encik Dulloh did not fare well for the Deep South problems. Already, Barisan Nasional Revolusi (BRN) refuses any discussions with the current Thai government but its opportunistic for Udomchai to straighten some issues like for example, disarmament, demilitarisation, and the giving up of weapons and I think perhaps the Thai general wasn't interested and only keen to meet the ex-IGP YB Tuan Rahim Noor.  Well, since the collapse of the talks, it seems one of these rebel groups decided to notch up their disappointment by expanding their militaristic activities into Satun and Phatallung. Thailand is already beguiled by the latest tragic episodes of the Chinese tourists shying away from Thailand as a form of boycott. Coupled with these terrorist threats, these are not going to jive well. The land of smiles will be smiling but the current troubles may only jeopardise those happy smiles. Satun is a new gem for Thailand because of Ko Lipe, the surrounding isles and Pak Bara.

Red-Whiskered Bulbul or Crested Bulbul

The Crested Bulbul is stressed, thus flustering in the cage as I was taking its picture

This picture was taken on Saturday, hence the bird cages were not visible then. Only the security checkpoint. Notice that I didn't include the post because there were officers manning the checkpoint.

Red-Whiskered Bulbuls (RWB)loved to chirp in the notes of happiness. Security officials parading the roads may seem relaxed, but the terror issues, the human trafficking issues, and other security issues may crop up sporadically. Will the Deep South ever enjoy a comprehensive peaceful resonance, it's only the residents of Malaysian - Thailand border willing to give it a chance.

Just one quick note about the caged RWB. Southern Thailand is a treasure of resources for agriculture, natural resources and tourism. Hence, many people in the Deep South has developed a liking for the bird-song contest. Many birds that chirp wonderfully well especially like RWBs, the Myrnas, Oriental-Magpie Robin, etc., are captured and trained for the bird-singing contest. Despite its not illegal, still, this sort of action extended appreciation towards the enslavement and poaching of other animals as well. Pangolins and various anteater species are exotic aphrodisiac dishes in countries like China. There were instances in the past where Thai poachers came into Malaysian jungles to trap exotic species of animals like sun bears and tigers. In many parts of Asia and in their wet markets, there are certain animals either sold for food or for pets. It's difficult at times to educate them, firstly, it's a cultural activity, and secondly, they will tell you that they don't hunt or capture these animals for pleasure but for a purpose. Sometimes the question is about priorities. Only when the animal is endangered, then the full force of the law is there to curb the smuggling and trafficking. Otherwise, it's business as usual. Traders do get angry when these animals' pictures are taken or videoed. They do know about the reasons behind their pictures or videos. Most of these traders rely on hunted and captured wildlife as a source of income. Their actions can be deemed deplorable but its always difficult to ascertain a morality to these issues, as long as it's not a greedy income. However, then again these traders used such exotic animals to treat us marketers into believing their word. There are still many ways to do trading, but they want these animals as a form of attraction and distraction to many interested patrons that eventually being tricked to make a purchase.

Wang Kelian-Wang Prachan border is a step in the right direction. There're more improvements to be ascertained especially if the idea is to push for a better and more livelier border. Opportunities abound and in the next few years, Satun will offer a new direction for the other Deep South provinces to follow. On the Thai side, it will be better, no doubt. On the Malaysian side, I am still unsure what's the ideals for the Perlis government and PH to improve this area, only time will tell.

One Last Note:

One of the most important facts about this trip had me forgotten to relate in this article is how foreigners used the Wang Kelian border post to extend their stay in Thailand. The province of Satun has given many foreigners the opportunity to experience the sand, the sun, the sea, and the islands. One particular island here in Satun is Ko Lipe. The upturn and influx of foreigners are unbearably a fortune for the province. Because Satun is predominantly a Muslim province, the service sector that serves the entertainment industry prevents Muslims from engaging in the industry. Bars are a no-go for pious and religious Muslims and the massage parlours that spell close proximity with the opposite sex is also a prohibition. Food industries that thrived on non-Halal ingredients also become a bane for the local residents to work in this industry. Hence, Muslims only can provide information on tourism packages, managing accommodations in hostels or hotels or running errands and transportation services. As with many provinces in Thailand, most of the entertainment service industries have employees sourced from Northern and Northeastern provinces in Thailand. Satun has its share of troubles in the past, and most Thais that come from the North have a biased view about the Southern Muslims. The reason being the violence that's deeply rooted in the 'Deep South'. Hence non-Muslim employers in the entertainment and service industry have a dilemma. The only strategy, source foreign workers from the Mekong basin, and in this case, Laos. Laos has always been at the heart of Thailand and the main reason is that the whole of Laos was once part of the Siamese nation, historically. Many Thais still have suspicions with Burma (Myanmar) and Cambodia.

So what has Laos and Western foreigners had anything to do with Wang Kelian?

Well, the immigration conditions for Thailand in the last 2 years have changed drastically. One of the things is that any foreigners in Thailand that have their passport renewed after the 2nd time, they can no longer stay in Thailand. Foreigners have to go to a nearby ASEAN nation and supposedly stay there for a few days. But recently, the procedures changed again in Thailand as after the Chinese debacle and violence that flared up in social media have angered many Chinese. The Chinese boycotted Thailand. In order to thwart the dwindling influx of Chinese tourists, Thai immigration allows foreigners to just obtain proof of 'exit' from the country. It DOES NOT matter when they returned.

So what happened at Wang Kelian on weekends is that many of the foreigners (including Laotians) exited Wang Prachan, Satun, Thailand, and walk about 150 meters to the Wang Kelian immigration. They obtain their Malaysian chops and then 'exited' Malaysia on the next immigration window. Once done, they walked back into Thailand and re-chop their passport as if anew.

Well, basically, Malaysia should care about this. Firstly, these people never entered Malaysia and they only make use of the immigration post. And secondly, this gives false positives and figures to our tourism statistics that these people actually visited Malaysia and do good to our economy. What's to be needed is the fact that there's a need to charge some nominal fee, and they have to pay in ringgit or US dollars. This will alleviate our tourism figures and statistics and generate a sizeable income for our country.