Padang Besar: Drastic Changes in the ICQS

Padang Besar, Malaysia in the state of Perlis is the second most Northern checkpoint after Wang Kelian, another immigration border post in Perlis. In Malaysia, the town is called Padang Besar and it's similarly called "Padang Basah" in Thai province of Songkhla. However, Thais prefer to just call it "Padang". Most times during the non-holiday seasons Padang Besar is a quiet affair save for those commuters from Thailand and Malaysia on their daily cross border business and trade and travellers relishing a spicier adventure on their travels.

Pedestrian crossing either by vehicles or walking 

Immigration at the Train Station

Padang Besar border crossing and immigration activities are perhaps the second most busy and active as compared to the Rantau Panjang - Su'Ngai Kolok border crossing. The reason, hordes of Malaysians especially the Malaysian Chinese on each weekends travel to Hatyai for religious reasons. Many in Malaysia today are Theravada Buddhist worshippers that's more closely related to the Indo-Chinese range of Buddhism. And however, if there are public and/or school holidays, Padang Besar becomes the alternative to Bukit Kayu - Danok crossing.

This weekend, as a continuation of this border crossing project, I did not realize that Malaysia is having the school holidays and thus even Padang Besar's vehicular and train crossings are inundated with travellers and tourists from Malaysia. I hated crowds and felt perplexed and the last time I came across these many people I fell ill. Luckily, this time again I took the train.

This two foreign girls, Micha and Justina, encountered a scam whilst trying to cross the border at the Padang Besar train station, at the Thai immigration section. This video is self explanatory and its not only the scam they faced but also harassment. Please watch this Youtube video which the both of them are kind enough to allow me to link on this blog:

Courtesy from Beer4Breakfast: Thanks so much, Micha and Justina

Despite some justifiable concerns, apparently Padang Besar is one of the safest land crossings in this region. The occasional touts that ferry passengers to the checkpoints or crossing the checkpoints may exacerbate the budget depending on the nature of the situation and the ignorance of the traveller, otherwise, if one is perhaps streetwise and aware of situations then the touts may backoff. As for myself, this time round, perhaps a little all familiar and with a body language that spoke of 'please backoff', and being too friendly, the Thai touts in reddish-orange jerseys understood.

This time round I will not be taking the train to Bangkok. It's a shuttle trip by train to Hatyai, about 45 minutes to an hour. More about this at the later sections of this blog.

The station is long and can accomodate a couple 

of trains on one platform.

The other side is on renovation so pedestrians 

are only using the vehicular bays' booths to

check their passports

Ah, yes, Padang Besar, compared with the other land-border crossings, this border has a train station ICQS (Immigration, Customs & Quarantine Services). Now there are two ICQS, the train station for the train travellers and the normal vehicle ICQS for pedestrians, commuters, and those that travel on vehicles. These are two separate entities. The train station ICQS is actually stationed on the Malaysian side of the border, and the train station ICQS is about 100 metres next to the vehicular and pedestrian ICQS. The train station ICQS incorporates both the Malaysian and Thai ICQS.

New Komuter train

Old Komuter train plying from Taiping 

KTM ETS can be from Gemas or KL Sentral

This Malaysian-Thai ICQS train station is supposed to be a simple and straightforward setup, however, it seems that the Malaysian authorities did not properly reassign this purpose. This mess was made after when the KTM's Electric Express Train Services (commonly known as ETS) and the Komuter (a communal inner-city/interurban city trains) started their services beginning of last year. Hence, the diesel trains no longer in Malaysia and from Thailand can use the rail services in the Northern region of Malaysia. The reason, the rail lines are unsuitable for diesel trains because their capacities are heavier. Moreover, the Thai trains capacity are absolutely and entirely different from the Malaysian rail specifications. As a matter of fact, there were some derailments when some of the diesel trains in Malaysia plied the ETS rail lines in the Klang Valley. KTM are in the process of upgrading the tracks. In the past there were direct train services between Butterworth (Penang) and Bangkok, Thailand. However, after the upgrading for Malaysian Northern trains to run in express electric mode, the Butterworth - Bangkok line was shortened to Padang Besar - Bangkok only.

Used to be the Butterworth to Bangkok train but now its only the Padang Besar to Bangkok train and vice versa

 So what has amending the train services got to do with the disorganization at Padang Besar train station ICQS? Well, firstly, and in the past, passengers bought their tickets at the Butterworth station or book online in Malaysia. Today, we cannot, because today, we have to purchase it directly from the Thai train personnel based at Padang Besar. Secondly, all of us have boarded the train in Butterworth already and the train station ICQS at Padang Besar only serve to check our passports and our luggage items. Thirdly, Padang Besar was not a stopover. Hence, the security authorities understood the procedures requiring to clear and board passengers without hassle. Fourth, those days there weren't any ETS or Komuter trains; the only ones available were diesel trains and the services were pretty much lesser like perhaps twice a day only, hence there was minimal disruption between various services. Lastly, like I said, Padang Besar was not a stopover and its not a stopover for transfer of services as well, meaning transferring from a Thai train to a local Komuter train or boarding an ETS service Kuala Lumpur.

So, how many services reach Padang Besar as of today? (1) At least there are more than 5 ETS services plying from either Gemas, Johor - Padang Besar or KL Sentral - Padang Besar. (2) Then, there is the Komuter Service running from Taiping, Perak or Butterworth all the way to Padang Besar - compared to the ETS this is a station to station stop thus its slower. (3) There is a twice-a-day shuttle service between Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand and Padang Besar, Perlis Malaysia - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. (4) The evening Thai train that departs from Padang Besar at 6:30pm to Bangkok. 

Perhaps if the government and authorities have studied this more closely and offer a framework, then the whole thing can be more effective and passengers do not have to wait for another train to alight, clear immigration, and board the other train. This will allow sufficient timings for both sides or else, simple redesigning of the facility using cheap resources.

The one building station design is perhaps sufficient. However, if there are more frequent services, perhaps its not ideal to utilize both arrivals and departures as a single entity. The building is sufficiently elongated and the frequent ETS and Komuter trains can station at separate platforms away from the international train services from Thailand. No one should be allowed to cross into the Thai territory until the papers are cleared. Right now, even if your papers are cleared, one can still cross into the Malaysian side (for food or drinks) and if someone decided not to go, then the papers are cleared but the person may forget to get the passport chopped on the Malaysian side. If somehow the person is stopped by a policeman outside Padang Besar, he or she may have to go back to Padang Besar for an immigration stamp.

At the Malaysian side of the immigration, and as a Malaysian, passport scanning was undoubtedly fast for most of us. However, if the Department of Immigration can station an automated scanning machine for our passports, it will most efficient. This is to allow Malaysians to scan their passports without standing in a long line of queue mixed with the foreigners. Moreover, this can allay concerns of immigration officers and they can perhaps focus on international travellers.

One last information about the train station. Despite the hustle, bustle, and the misfits, the enforcement authorities were very professional. It's not their prerogative that the situation mishandled in such a way, the Ministry of Transport, Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat (SPAD) [Land Public Transport Commission], and various governmental agencies did.

The security officials managed to hold us until the arrivals from Hatyai cleared their passports and security checks. Then they directed us to clear our passports first at the Malaysian side and then the Thai side.

Despite the lines are somewhat long and widening, the process was actually smooth and efficient. This whole group happened to travel to Hatyai by train.

There were a couple of impatient Malaysian travellers (always them) who wanted to beat the line so they thought they went to the Thai side first and then the Malaysian side. But the authorities shouted at them and later they became slightly embarrassed and wanting to come over and cut the queue. Despite I found them embarrassing, I couldn't be bothered because I know the train would not just take off without their prize passengers.

Some passengers are getting impatient. The police bantuan is trying to handle the situation in the best way possible.

Then a thought quickly got over me and as I about to take some pictures with my handphone just about a metre from the Thai immigration booths, a policeman (well actually a police bantuan) quietly tapped my shoulder and shook his head and uttered his disapproval in Malay. I smiled and thanked him, because firstly, I was doing it on purpose and see whether anyone bothered, and secondly, just for a picture of efficiency, the Thai immigration side did their jobs.

Oh, for the Malaysian customs on the other end, before coming to the Thai side there were a number of them and the scanning machines were on. Passengers that carried multiple bags were asked to open up and explained about their items. But then, when its all said and done, the three of four of them started browsing their handphones and even my bags, were scanning through they did not even bother to look at the screen. They were busy fidgeting with Facebook.

Padang Besar - Hatyai shuttle

At last, I got on the train. This one without the air condition and it costs 50 Baht about MYR 6.13. After I boarded, we were still waiting for people to board.

So in the next short part, and since I have commented much about the train side of the ICQS, I'd just want to rewind back to the earlier afternoon after my arrival from KL Sentral, and my first quick activity was to go outside and looked at the vehicular and pedestrian ICQS.

Now, it seems that the vehicular and pedestrian immigration control end is undergoing major renovations to improve it on par with the rest of the Northern ICQS. I do agree that Padang Besar ICQS needed the sort of improvements so that ICQS and even the traffic flow can be managed in a better way. I didn't proceed way into the immigration and quarantine proper as I didn't want to later subject myself to unnecessary or difficult queries, and I was looking for lunch as well. Travellers that wished to go by Padang Besar and instead of Bukit Kayu Hitam (BKH) in Kedah was because they wanted to avoid crowds at BKH. Normally on Saturdays, Northern Malaysians especially Chinese folks made their pilgimage to some of the temples in Songkhla or Southern Thailand. Most Malaysians also avoided Padang Besar because bus coaches do not use this land crossing.

Pedestrians and vehicular passengers getting

their passport checked and stamped

Renovation in progress

So how did these people get across? Firstly, if a family drives or someone has a vehicle or motor bike, it's that easy. Of course the owner must have paid up the ownership of the vehicles and is fully insured, otherwise, they are ineligible to cross.

Secondly, Thai or Malaysian bike or vehicle touts which I mentioned earlier! They are costly and sometimes if not careful they could be problematic. Thirdly, just be a pedestrian and make your mileage to "Padang" in Thailand (about 1.5 Km). I have read and heard about a certain bus terminal and there're cheap buses that ferry commuters between Hatyai and Padang Besar. But I am still unsure where's the bus stop or terminal. One time, I took the bus coach from Bangkok to "Padang" in Thailand, the bus driver did not even bother to drop me close at the immigration point or drop me at a bus station or stop, instead he took me to a residential area, and I had to pay 100 Baht (MYR 12.00) and a Thai tout (grudgingly) took me to the immigration because he felt the amount was insufficient. It was a memorable experience back then.

So if anyone is going by the land route, make sure you undertake sufficient information with you. Otherwise, the travel is going to be somewhat challenging.

OK. Now I am returning to the earlier comment that I boarded the train and awaited the rest of the passengers to board. The coaches of the train despite its old, its pretty clean and comfortable. Despite the train ticket allocated a seat number, seating was free and we all could choose which coach to board and sat in. One of the fans that I sat closed to it was not working. Anyway, when all the passengers bound for Hatyai boarded, the train began to rumble its diesel engines and chugging towards Padang (Thai side). At Padang, more commuters boarded, and mostly are Thais.

The train restarted and rumbled Northwards chugging faster and faster, and even though I saw the scenery several times in my lifetime, this time was different as the wind blew in my face and I tried to get a tan. Most commuters preferred siting in the shade away from the afternoon sun. The distance from the Padang Besar train station ICQS is 60 Km and it takes roughly about 55 minutes to an hour.

About half an hour later, the train stopped at Klong Ngae. Some commuters got off and more came on to Hatyai.

Hatyai Junction Yard: unkept & pretty unsightly

The locomotive here looked nice and colorful

Close to about 4:00pm we reached Hatyai Junction, the train depot and yard in Hatyai. Apparently, this is the main station in the South of Thailand that offers services to Trang, Phuket and Krabi and all the way to Su'Ngai Kolok in Narathiwat. Its also the only 'Junction to the North to Bangkok and beyond. Whether a traveller is coming from Phuket or Yala or Narathiwat, they all have to come to Hatyai Junction first, if they want to proceed to Bangkok and vice versa. That's how the rail lines are connected in Southern Thailand.

Budget guest hotel

Hive of activity for Malaysians

Right about 4:00 pm (Thai time), I was in Hatyai Junction Station, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand. The station is situated right in the heart of the touristy environs and its about half-a-kilometre to everything in Hatyai proper. This area is not the main downtown but a downtown for mainly Malaysian and Singaporean tourists and travellers alike. The place I am putting up for two nights was a budget guest hotel called Sandee Room. I booked a single room that come with an attached shower and toilet. The room is air-conditioned and has a flat screen TV and a fridge. Moreover, this budget guest house is only 200 metres from the train station and its closed to the hive of activities in Hatyai proper. If you are a traveller that prefers certain niches like adventures and country pursuits, Hatyai is not for you. Basically, Hatyai, is a shopaholics paradise for Malaysians across the border and for those who enjoy Thai hospitalities in fun, drinking oasis, nightclubbing, fish-bowl* pursuits, floating market (that's a bit of a way from this area), etc. Water sports and adventures are only available at Samira Beach off Songkhla about 35 miles from Hatyai. To enjoy a relatively quiet get away nearby a cool beach breeze, head to Sathing Phra (Satingpra) the ancient port city in Northern Songkhla about 67.3 Km from Hatyai. There aren't any buses and trains direct to Sathing Phra. The only option is to rent a car in Hatyai and drive there or hailed a taxi (may be costly). Grab and Uber are not available in Hatyai yet.

Hatyai, a popular town for Malaysians and Singaporeans

Hatyai is the gateway to the Southern part of the Malay Peninsula. Back during the days during the Vietnam wars, this place was kind of a cowboy town for cross border travellers and popular with drug mules, smugglers, and communist socialists to congregate. It was also popular amongst Malaysians back then who wish to sought a different sort of medical practices that employ black arts to cure desperate well wishes. Back in the 80s, I remembered my mother had an ailment and the doctors in Malaysia was unable to diagnose the ailment. In the end, and even upon recommendation from certain medical practitioners, they advised her to travel there to seek an "expert" for a cure. My mother went with my dad for a month, and upon her return, she was undoubtedly a healthier person. Today, Hatyai is also well known for it's medical transgressions in Malaysia and Indonesia. Thousands flocked here for plastic surgeries and other kinds of medical treatment as well. I have done a bit of research, and its not just Hatyai, in fact, Thailand is one of the more prominent countries in East Asia for plastic surgeries, medical treatments, and organ transplants as well. Many are not documented and Thais preferred the anonymity. However, the treatments are not cheap. Even my parent then had to pay a substantial amount. Definitely, it's much cheaper than many of the Western countries. If one has to Bangkok, the number of ads on looking good seemed very important and I am not talking about women, men as well.

Hatyai will be gathering speed because the number of travellers are growing, yearly. The reason why Malaysia ICQS is renovating is because they need the facilities to accommodate the numbers during the weekends, the festivities, holidays, and the increasing logistics numbers that will be coming not only from Thailand but the rest of Indochina and of course, China. I have already seen trucks coming as far from Yunnan province in Hatyai. Hatyai will be one of the fastest growing cities (in Thailand) and it will enhance ASEAN as the corridor for trade and tourism.

*Afterword

Earlier, I noted an asterisk (*) beside fish bowl. For those who are not familiar, a fish bowl or sometimes its called a fish tank, is a place or joint where patrons go into a club and after the music is over, a group of 15 or 20 young Thai women will parade to the front of the stage and hoping patrons will call out their numbers and select them for the night. I do not wish to use the derogatory word because for them life is hard and this is all what they can do. Most don't come from the Southern region but from Indochinese countries and rural Thailand from the North and Northeast. They all speak Thai as a way for survival. When I said their lives are hard and I do not mean it literally because the extent of their lives (if they are not Thais) are so delicate and I have seen worst. Refugees, women surviving from wars in Burma, women escaping from domestic violence either at the hands of their parents (who may want to sell them) or their husbands, women who lost their loved ones, etc. Indochinese fate will not become better if Burma, Cambodia, and Laotian governments refusing to identify ethnicities and offer resolve to large swarth of poor wastelands. Thailand forever, will receive these people and Thais have been undoubtedly generous (amongst the ASEAN neighbours) as Thailand sits in the middle of the region. Communist, dictatorship, and socialist regimes and wars have placate Indochina into oblivion. Thailand is one of the worlds most incidentiary place for HIV and AIDs infection and despite its decreasing, STDs seemed to have evolved deadlier. Hence, drugs and treatment have little answers to these evolving diseases.

Aung San Su Kyi wanted all the refugees to come home but the National League for Democracy (NLD) is only accommodating international furore. What are the programs allowed to have these people to resettle? Do they have homes, employment, or places where they can farm? How are they suppose to be treated? Will they lose their ethnic heritage? I have seen one small group of ethnic Muslim Shan (numbered in hundreds) totally disappeared from Northeast Burma, and many have settled down in Mae Sot, Thailand and earning an honest living. In Cambodia, Hun Sen is relieving the success of another premiership run in the upcoming elections. More and more Westerners are partying in Cambodia because the beer are cheap and women are easy. To accomodate more galore, more and more casinos are built in Cambodia. The Laotian government is inundated with Chinese to build and modernize, however, more than 65% of the country is reeling in poverty and many do not have feasible heating in winter. More and more Chinese came down from neighbouring Yunnan province and they, themselves seemed satisfied with their businesses they ran because they weren't much competition from fellow Chinese. What's sad is that they don't even employ Laotians as either caretakers or staff. They seemed satisfied with their own fellowmen. So, more or less, Thailand seemed to be the sole destination for sorrow and sordid affairs. Malaysia, after this noxious election can be a fine example to many of these Indochinese countries, and hopefully, its not Thai Rak Thai but ASEAN Rak ASEAN.

Crossing Border from Danok, Songkhla, Thailand to Bukit Kayu Hitam (BKH), Kedah, Malaysia as a Passenger Travelling in a Coach

A Brief Report on the Kind of Labour "Ferrying/Transferring"

Two Thai nationals purposely alighted the bus at the Thai immigration checkpoint to conduct their own immigration protocols on July 23, 2017 @ about 11:00 am. They did not follow the pedestrian queue and follow the lines of procedures. As a matter of fact both of them spoke to vehicle touts (bike or car runners) and they were brought by them via their "immigration procedures" :-

1) One young Thai national aged 20s crossed with a group in a car. I did not see her at the Thai and Malaysian immigration. She claimed that she knew a friend who (is in Malaysia) that recommended her to cross with an individual that cleared both the Thai and Malaysian immigration without "fuss". At the first rest area, just after the immigration, I asked her whether she paid any amount of fees for leaving Thailand and entering Malaysia, she claimed "no" in Thai.

2) Another Thai individual happened to cross on a motorbike and somehow during the process she almost got left behind by the coach she was in together with me. Apparently, the Malay lady that brought her across (on a bike) was looking for her. Apparently, this Thai national was held up. In the end she re-entered our bus.

Question: I am perplexed by the need for these two Thai nationals to cross the border this way as the bus was apparently waiting for us patiently. Why were these two individuals crossing the border with additional transports? Apparently, if they crossed in such a manner it would suffice additional payment. This would cost an additional sum of 200 Baht or RM 24.00. The only way individuals cross the border this way, meant they are looking for work in Malaysia and perhaps don't have the required documentation or the documentation is either barred or refusal of entries. Thai nationals can visit Malaysia for a month. However, if their intention are to work then a work visa is required. I don't think Thais can get work visas at any borders and they have to apply work visas at the Malaysian Embassy in Thailand.

It also seemed to me, these Thais are very well versed with the "backdoor" or "blackmarket" systems which we, Malaysians, even do not know about them. Our enforcement authorities must be in cahoots with these individuals because Malaysian authorities can bar these bike runners from accessing into our borders. If these bike runners follow our rules and regulations then there should not be any problem but its the other way around.

According to a witness account (who is a Thai national from Bangkok but works in a Malaysian company based in Bangkok), she deliberated to me that many Thais do this especially if they are in search of work in Malaysia. She revealed to me that she had seen these multiple times since her travels between Malaysia and Thailand for the last 20 years. As for myself, this is the first time I come across such matters, even though I have crossed the border multiple times in the last 5 years.

This sort of cross border trespassing is a liability to our entire security network in the country. Not only will weapons, drugs, and other illegal paraphernalia will come into our country, this will only confirm the existence of foreign assassinations, drug trafficking, human trafficking and labour trafficking. Our borders are seemingly porous enough and allowing these sort of remnants will forever jeopardize Malaysia's image as NOT only a country of human trafficking (which we were once direly labelled by the US State Department) but also a country where we have tough laws but foreigners dictate our policies to our own ills.

More to the point, read this blog on what happened to these Malaysians:
https://cp4ab0115hm3n7.livejournal.com/394.html

A Third Kelantan-Thailand Border Crossing Near Jeli, Kelantan, Malaysia

On December 21st, 2007, the Malaysian and Thai Government officiated the third border crossing in the Kelantan-Narathiwat region. In Kelantan, this third border crossing is situated at the Bukit Bunga (BB) border on the Malaysian side and Ban Buketa (BB) on the Thai side. Bukit Bunga is in a small municipality of Kampung (Kg.) Bukit (Bt.) Bunga (herein, KBB). KBB is within a bigger municipality called Ayer Lanas (AL), and both KBB and AL are within the district council of Jeli (Majlis Daerah Jeli [MDJ]), Kelantan. Hence, MDJ administers this whole region, except the BB Immigration and Customs Quarantine (BBICQS). The city of Jeli is about 19.3 km to the BBICQS on Highway (Hwy) 4, which serves as the main road network in these areas.

The only public transportation that serve the Jeli-Ayer Lanas area are the Cityliner buses from Kota Bharu and (charted) taxis from Tanah Merah, Kelantan. The Cityliner bus from Kota Bharu's final destination is Kuala Balah but it passes by KBB, AL along the way. However, from KBB, the walking distance is about 1.3 km (roughly about 16 mins) on the dry and hot asphalt. Charted taxis may cost as much as RM 30.00 from Tanah Merah (TM), Kelantan, about a 40 minutes journey and depending on the traffic as well. The Cityliner buses from Kota Bharu do alight at TM Bus Station before proceeding onward to KBB, Jeli, and its final destination at Kuala Balah.

This BB, Kelantan-Ban Buketa, Narathiwat border actually serves more to the locals from this Southern region of the Narathiwat province. The people and folks here converse a heavy accented Kelate and many of the Jeli-Ayer Lanas area are also civil servant retirees who are either Kelantanese or elsewhere from other parts of the peninsular married to Kelantanese or Narathiwatians. The former Trade and Industry Minister, Dato' Seri Mustapa bin Mohamad ('Tok Pa'), a Member for Parliament for Jeli constituency, resides not far from these quiet areas. Not far from the border, a branch of the University Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli is situated on the Hwy 4 about 13 kms from the border. Jeli is also a place for many Malaysians who are convicted under a Preventive Corrective Order (PCO) and are told to serve their sentence by residing in this quiet pristine region of Jeli environs.

The Northern Kelantan between Kota Bharu and Kuala Balah has a significant amount of cross border relationships between both nationalities. Here, we are talking about family and community relationships. The third border crossing between Kelantan and Narathiwat actually alleviate the hardships of Narathiwatians in Ban Buketa and Waeng. Poverty, civil strives, and perhaps terrorism did take a toll on the lives of many livelihoods of residents in Ban Buketa and Waeng. Security is still very tight and just a month ago in Sungei Golok, a bomb went off and fortunately no one was hurt in that blast. A conversation with the Manager of Hotel Jeli Inn, what he informed me was seemingly interesting at least from the standpoint of at least another conversation I had with another Northern person in Thailand some years back. So what basically transpired was the fact that they told me there aren't any civil strife and the terrorism were carried out by the Thai military so that they are able to inject manpower security in the South of Thailand. He said that the Thai Malays do not have any misgivings at the Thai government and these acts of violence are the work of the military or gangsters. Of course when I tried to reason with him about some of the mugshots of 'wanted persons' I saw at the Sungei Golok ICQS (just outside the immigration complex); he refuted me and told me that those 'wanted persons' are gangsters or drug dealers. Of course, and again I did not want to rile a conversation with him since he was nice enough to bring me to the BBICQS and later returned me to the Inn. Moreover, I have serious reservations that this Kelantanese could actually be Thai as well and had lived in Malaysia for quite sometime for whatever reasons. From the conversations sought too, he's tacitly defiant about Thai nationalism and there are many like him that also refused to identify themselves as Thais and speak the language. In fact many Southern Thais (from Jala, Narathiwat, and Pattani) of a middle-age and older disposition have a dislike for the Thai central government. Perhaps in another part of this area on border surveillance, I will devote a whole part on the history of this region and my o' my is certainly an exciting journey to examine the history of Northern Malaya and the Kra Isthmus.

On Saturday morning, the Manager of Hotel Jeli Inn offered to give me a ride to the BBICQS in his Ford pickup. Saturday was a quiet morning in Kelantan after the Friday public holiday. The ride was peppered with his views about the KBB, the distance, and the folks that goes there. All which I have said pretty much in the earlier part of this write up. He looked a bit like a normal Malay guy but his intelligence is commendable and he spoke Bahasa Malaysia and not Bahasa Kelate. When he swerved into a paved asphalt road before reaching the BBICQS, I noticed the walled and fenced up structures just about 400 meters before the ICQS. It's impressively strengthened and as we approached the complex, it's huge like the ones at Bukit Kayu, Rantau Panjang, and Pengkalan Hulu ICQS.  As a matter of fact in terms of its width, its probably slightly smaller as compared to the Southern Integrated Gateway in Johor. Not sure whether a massive building like this would have any use in this remote area; perhaps many years later, these many spaces (in this ICQS) will nor be wasted otherwise it may become 'a white elephant'.


I alighted the pickup truck and headed straight to the immigration office. As Saturday is a public holiday, there weren't much activities. I walked straight to the signboard that mentioned 'Pedestrian Lane' (Laluan Perjalanan Kaki). As I walked to the windows, I noticed that the offices were closed and blue-colored queue control retractable stretch posts safs were used and stretched across to block the entrances to denote closure.  Another staff pointed further up advised that I proceeded to the vehicular immigration post as only one is operable on that very day. As the incoming traffic was particular naught, I was the only individual heading towards Ban Buketa. The immigration officer was pleasant and typically scanned and chopped my passport without much fuss despite asking me where I was heading. I told him I wanted to see the Ban Buketa Saturday morning market. He smiled and replied "von voyage" respectfully. I walked and observed that the traffic coming into Malaysia was slightly more active.  As I approached the customs, the customs officers were nonchalantly quiet and unobtrusive. Furthermore, their scanning x-ray machines on the other side was non-operable. As a matter of fact the top part of the machine is covered by tarpaulin.

As I proceeded further away and into the open areas of the other end of the complex and carrying my phone with me. Suddenly, two police officers in military T-shirts and khaki attires stopped me in my tracks and asked me to come over. They wanted to know whether I filmed them and demanded my phone for their investigation. They queried me why I was there and what I was up to and whether I filmed them or not. Apparently, they were aware of the fact that taking pictures of them was illegal. My intention was to see whether anybody was aware of the fact, apart from these officers. They reasoned, queried, and listened to my positions in a respectable and professional manner. I was impressed with their alertness disposition (as this was an important trait lacking in many of these border areas). After they were satisfied, they took a picture of my passport, allowed me to proceed, and advised me to be cautious whilst in Thailand.

The "Friendship Bridge" as its being labelled by both Thailand and Malaysia is solidly built and very impressive. As I looked forward and backward, I noticed that Malaysia spent a lot of money for the ICQS and the Thai side seemed nothing like it and rather more like an isolated wild west outpost. The Friendship Bridge crosses the Golok River (Sungai Golok) and at its low ebb, one can virtually cross the river easily even without using the bridge. Even the island in the river has some weeds overgrown. Apparently the bridge's lightings are powered by Thai solar systems. There's also some sort of a remote camera system that's powered by solar and peering down into the river (actually not very sure what's the reason for, perhaps as a sort of flood waters monitoring on rainy seasons). The Golok River was known to swell and become treacherous on rainy seasons.

As I approached the Thai ICQS at Ban Buketa, both sides of the opposite oncoming traffic had cars parked on the sides of them. Apparently passengers and drivers were required to parked and alighted their vehicles to get their passports verified and stamped. The queues were not particularly long today but I do think that on weekdays they could even stretch out to the Malaysian side of the bridge. The Thai officer verified, checked the tourist or traveler immigration card and returned to me.  There were a couple of customs officers but they smiled and waved me on.

Just off the Ban Buketa ICQS, there was a military checking post. Despite it's empty, and as I peered to the left, I noticed that soldiers were busy checking a vehicle. The soldiers were armed with assault rifles. Apparently they took time checking it as mentioned that a month ago, a bomb went off at Sungai Golok.

There was a time when in Songkhla and Thais advises were never to tour, visit, and travel the utmost South provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Jala. Ban Buketa does not have much going at all. Despite the roads are properly paved and asphalted, many people in the surrounding areas are satisfied with the village or kampung life. Goods and foodstuffs are relatively simple, styled like five-foot-way simple convenient shop lots. Merchandises depending on who are selling and making monies, if its a Thai Malay stall, things are really cheap. The Thai-Chinese (even though the ethnicity is considered absolved into a one-Thai nationality) sold their merchandises in a much pricier way and the activities inside the sundry shop was busy in organizing and the bargaining of prices with another middle men or proprietor. Most of the goods do come from across the border from either Tanah Merah or Jeli but there are also some Thai made goods. As compared to Sungai Golok, it seemed the retailers there have decided to sell more goods made in Thailand. However, in Ban Buketa and the surrounding areas, it seemed only the morning market in Kampung Bukit Bunga just off the the road proceeding to the BBICQS in Malaysia is a more popular area. Its not that Ban Buketa is not popular, there is a morning market that sells mostly local foodstuffs like meat, fish, vegetables, etc., and that's just directly to the left of where the vehicle was checked by the soldiers.

The Southern region has become a sore thumb for vehicular and individual checks that many Southern Thais find it difficult to progress and do business efficiently. Just for example, when I came out of the Ban Buketa checkpoint, there's a military outpost as the one shown above. However, within the city limits and zones, there are at least four other military checkpoints. It's not even the checks on vehicles, and when I completed my tour from within the city limits, I saw a senior military figure walking into a mosque compound and shook hands with the hosts and an Iman (who also happened to be a (colleague) military officer). Presumably, its not an invitation but somehow it's to acknowledge the ceremony and to see who are the attendees. The question is whether these sorts of surveillance are effective in curtailing threats or are these monitoring and surveillance just bore brunt in the everyday normal livelihoods of these peaceful residents. Perhaps, what the driver told me could be true, the military themselves defaulting into acts of treachery to serve their purpose as military officers and a reason for job creations. The South is neglected (for a long time) and these harassments cannot be ideal way to resolve conflicts. When and if the bombings do get suspiciously serious then they'd be curfews and because of these curfews, the stress may get to these people as discrimination and thus a tit-for-tat revenge.

The tough monitoring and business interests do make many of these Thais in Ban Buketa, Waeng or any part of Southern Thailand to head South into Malaysia. The Thai Malays here identify themselves naturally by the conversant of the language they used and that is Kelate. Everyone speaks perfect Kelate and its difficult to acknowledge who's Malaysian and who's Thai, unless they lapsed into Thai language. Here in this Jeli Inn Hotel, most of the staff are Thais, especially the food sellers and cooks. Thai Malay food is popular in these parts.

One of the interesting facts about this border is the fact that many of the border areas within Bukit Bunga and Ban Buketa are pretty much under control. However, upon my return from Ban Buketa, and after crossing the Bukit Bunga ICQS, the Manager from Jeli Inn brought me to the illegal route where many would have utilized the route as a convenience either to come to Kelantan and within the Peninsula. The amazing thing is that this route is situated just behind and beside the Bukit Bunga ICQS. He told me that many locals from Kelantan and Malaysians, as well, used this very route to go to the Ban Buketa morning market that's just beside the Ban Buketa ICQS. He drove me close to the dirt lane and I saw a number of Malaysian cars of different plates from different states parked by the roadside by the lane. There were some 40 cars or so but I think most would have cross just to go to the market. Nevertheless, desperate people will make use of this illegal lane/s during odd hours of the day to cross into Malaysia or fugitives on the run to Thailand.

It's relatively difficult to control all illegal land routes. Normal and honest people will not use these places, unless its just for a short excursion to the market without any fuss. However, since the border is already that sufficiently weak and porous, such excursions are likelihoods for smuggling, trafficking, and even to a certain extent kidnapping. Nobody bothers this route and even if there are Thai nationals ready to participate to bring people over on their bikes for a nominal fee, with no questions asked, no one actually bothers to acknowledge the legality of it, and not even enforcement officers as well. The real dawning and blow-off-the-mind question is whether building such a wonderful and huge complex at the BBICQS can determine and deter smuggling and trafficking purposes, which in effect is countered by 'rat' routes or holes to filter across both sides of the divide. No wonder the customs officials when I crossed looked nonchalantly unobtrusive as they knew what's the point of enforcement when people from both sides can filter easily. No wonder they had their scanning x-ray machines covered in tarpaulin because they are not going to use it anyway when if desperate patrons saw the stiffness of surveillance they can just use these illegal 'rat' routes or holes. Its time the government look into these issues and address them evenly at each of these borderlands, otherwise, weapons and drugs will keep coming into Malaysia. Pastor Koh, that was cornered and disappeared in Petaling Jaya be very well could be brought into Thailand with these illegal 'rat' routes. The Thais in these parts are desperate, hence, with sufficient adequate funds anything is doable.

Malaysian Borders Become a Bane Even During Election Season

In a posting by The Nation, an online Bangkok social news media, it was reported that the authorities in Malaysia have tightened the borders when dual nationality Thais and Malaysians are securing monetary compensation to vote in the Malaysian election in the far reaches of the Kelantan North. There are some 200 of these dual nationality holders who were paid RM 50.00 or Thai Baht 400.00. And if these 200 dual nationality holders succeeded in voting on the 9th of May, they would be further paid RM 200.00 that's roughly about Thai Baht 1,600.00. As this will purvey irregularities in our election system, the authorities have only allowed two crossings on the election day. The article did not say who these 200 dual nationality holders would be voting for.

More can be assessed here:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/asean-plus/30344916

Rantau Panjang and Su'Ngai Kolok: An Ideal Crossing in Malaysia

Kelantan is one of the most fortunate state in Peninsula Malaysia to have two border crossings. Earlier and yesterday, I made a good crossing from Pengkalan Kubor to Tak Bai in Thailand. Today, I made a third time crossing and this time from Rantau Panjang, Kelantan to Sungai Golok (Thai: Su'Ngai Kolok) in Narathiwat, Thailand. From here onwards I prefer to spell Sungai Golok as Sungai Kolok like how they write in Narathiwat, Thailand.

Sungai Kolok is a bizarre town and for a long time it has been one of the many popular crossings for travellers from Malaysia, much more than Bukit Kayu Hitam (in Kedah, Malaysia) and Danok (in Songkhla, Thailand) crossing. There was even once a rail connection between Rantau Panjang and Sungai Kolok but that has thus far become defunct for a long time - no one actually knows why the service is discontinued perhaps it was way during the Colonial times as more of logistical transport rather than public transport for commuters.

To get to Rantau Panjang, a commuter has to board the Cityliner bus No. 21 from Kota Bharu to Rantau Panjang. The travel time is about 1 hour and 15 minutes depending the amount of passengers alighting of various towns in between Kota Bharu and Rantau Panjang and that includes Pasir Mas, a relatively sizable town in Kelantan. The distance from Kota Bharu to Rantau Abang is about 45 km. And from Rantau Panjang to the immigration is another 2 to 3 km to the immigration that's close to Sungai Kolok. The bus trip from Kota Bharu to Rantau Panjang costs RM5.50.

Apparently, the Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine Sections (ICQS) have improved tremendously since I last visited. The pedestrian ICQS is simple and impressive. On the Malaysian side, despite there's a queue line for both Malaysian and foreign nationalities, on the other side of the counter, the Malaysian immigration authorities have set up a feasible passport reader and scanning machine for Malaysian passport readers. As I stepped into the booth the machine closed the booth's door, scanned me as the passport, scanned my thumbprint without any fuss and in a matter of seconds, confirmed me as the passport holder, and the booth's door on the other side opened to say that I was cleared. Similarly, on my return from Sungai Kolok, after four hours later, the machine on the returning side cleared me as well. Somehow, some officials saw my actions as bizarre, perhaps no one had yet to use the machines, and most Malaysians and Thais prefer the queue line to get their passports or travel permits (those that stayed on the borders and traverse along Kelantan and Narathiwat can get travel permits from the Malaysian and Thai immigration authorities) checked and stamped. I was the most glad person for this development - and on my way out I gave both my thumbs up and the authorities thought perhaps I was mad or what.

That was however untrue for the Customs side of the enforcement - there weren't anybody at all especially on the side where visitors from Thailand entering Rantau Panjang, Malaysia. The bag scanning machine was turned off and not sure where are the customs officials. Having said that, however, Malaysia ICQS have in fact one of the best vehicular inspection bays consisting of 5 vehicular bays. Perhaps Customs officials are better stationed to check vehicles rather than pedestrians crossing the borders.

The Thai side of the ICQS at Su'Ngai Kolok has improved tremendously since those days they stationed on the wooden bridge (along the Sungai Kolok) and a row of connected of offices were built adjacent to the then Thai immigration office. The Thai immigration office shifted inland and they set up similarly to the Malaysian ICQS. When I arrived at the Thai pedestrians' ICQS, its very organized and straightforward two queues in tow. The clearance is simple, efficient, and fast. I took my time to take a few pictures for this write-up and also took my time to fill up the traveller or tourist immigration card. Still the clearance only took like less than half-an-hour. The Immigration Officer was also meticulous as well and queried me as to my whereabouts in Sungai Kolok because I did not input a residence as I would be there for a few hours only. In the end, I did offer him my input that I will be hanging about in the morning market in Sungei Kolok and he was indeed satisfied. I wasn't annoyed at all, and thought his actions and questions were relevant, important, and commendable, as Sungei Kolok was troubled with a bomb blast a couple of weeks before and not far from the ICQS.

As I exited the Thai ICQS, I noticed a poster of wanted persons on banners. Not sure whether these individuals are wanted for a series of troubles in Narathiwat and Southern Thailand.

About 100 metres from the Thai ICQS, there's a military checkpoint with two soldiers in full military uniforms and weapons straddled on their shoulders. They were pleasantly nice and offered their "hellos" or "Sawadee Krap" as most Thais will do. Thailand like any country in the world, when their country is besieged with a violent problem, the full force of the military is called upon to make the presence felt rather than to enforce the law.

After the military checkpoint, the immediate building near the ICQS zone is the Thai Tourism Office and Exhibition Centre. The buildings are so massively built that it kind of reminds tourists and travellers that Narathiwat is not dangerous and patrons are free to visit and travel anywhere in Southern Thailand. I did not go there because I felt silly and felt the buildings are just 'white elephants'  because even from the outside, it seemed quite empty and not much actually feel the insides even though today is a Sunday. Trespassing is not my best suite anyway and decided to prod on towards more exciting places.

My aim is to find out where the Sungai Kolok Train Station was.

As I proceeded on, I saw another banner in fact one big banner was actually stationed across the Tourist and Exhibition Centre and its about the International Competition on Chinese Lion Dance and to be held sometime in May 2018. Participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and Australia are invited to the competition together with the Thai competitors and it will be held in the Exhibition Centre. Further down there were smaller banners hanging straight down on the lamp post.

 Just after the Genting Hotel, the shops came into view; I was surprised to see so many shops and further into avenues, five-foot way shops sprung and there were security checkpoints with policing figures stationed at these checkpoints. In these controlled areas apparently, many Thais of various ethnic groups (despite majority are still Malay Muslims) conducted their businesses. Most are Chinese owned shops and they employed Muslims to run their shops - whether its eateries, sundry goods shops or pharmacies. Most of these Thais spoke dual languages, Malay and Thai. And some even can converse in local Chinese dialects like Hokkien or Teochew to my delight.

The odd thing about this, is that, it seemed the controlled secured areas are run by Thais whom have assimilated comfortably into the Thai culture. It seemed as compared to Tak Bai, Thai Muslims in Sungai Kolok are pretty comfortable with their lifestyles and have assimilated more readily. When I was having my lunch at one of the eateries, they played and sang along with Thai pop songs that one could listen readily in Bangkok and not those traditional Thai music. And to my delight most of them are Muslims and yet they don't feel the uncomfortable and at ease.

I managed to arrive at the Sungai Kolok Train Station, and the station had metal detecting machines and military figures but it seemed they either uninterested or lackadaisical in their attributes. Hence, the metal detecting machine is for show as deterrence rather than for enforcement. I went to the ticket window to inquire the ticket price for a lower berth sleeper from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok and got a favorable answer.

I did not hang around that long and decided because this place is anywhere like Thailand and thus did not thrill me at all, apart from the vegetarian lunch I had and thought it was delicious.

I returned to the immigration and observed what are the impossibilities but it seemed, on the Thai ICQS side, one have to go to one of the vehicle bays and not back to the office. Nevertheless, everything's efficient as well but I just feel its rather queer to have to be examined and checked at a vehicle bay.

All in all, my experience with the Rantau Panjang and Sungei Kolok crossings is one of positive note, if not the best, and most efficient crossings of all times. Despite, the crossings is considered well enforced but still I could see bike runners offering rides to pedestrians, however, I did not see any of those who want to risk crossing illegally.