MALAYSIA. A major diplomatic incident has been caused by the arrest of Thai tourists at the Rantau Panjang duty free shopping zone.
On 28 June, some 60 Thai nationals were detained by police for several days for entering the duty free shopping area without valid travel documents. This resulted in strong protest from the Thai authorities.
Malaysia’s Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir expressed dismay over the police move, saying it will negatively affect the country’s tourist industry.
“The Government has spent much money to promote tourism and such action can frighten away tourists who will be reluctant to visit this country,” he told reporters at a press conference.
As a duty free area, Pekan Rantau Panjang does not need full immigration enforcement and Thai nationals may enter the area for shopping without valid travel documents so long as they did not go beyond the duty free area, Abdul Kadir added. At the news conference, which was covered by Thai television, he apologised on behalf of the Malaysian police for the arrest of the Thai tourists.
Such strong action should not have been taken as the area was a tourist enclave just across the Sungai Golok which forms the boundary between Kelantan and Thailand and is Thailand’s southern gateway to Kelantan, the Minister said. The three duty free areas on the border are Rantau Panjang and Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan and Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah.
The chairman of the Tourism Authority of Narathiwat Province, Abdul Aziz Awangseman who was also present at the news conference, said the incident had caused anxiety among Thais and even those with valid travel documents feared harassment by the police.
Following the incident, the Thai authorities issued a travel advisory warning Thai people against visiting Malaysia because of the aggressive action of the Malaysian police.
Rantau Panjan has a wide ranging duty free offer. Sriwani Group, for example, operates the 800 sq m (8,608sq ft) Jasa Duty Free Shop, selling cigarettes, liquor, chocolates, cameras, cosmetics, electrical items, fragrances, gifts and watches. The store caters to both local and foreign tourists who traverse the main eastern border, crossing into Thailand.
