Malaysians Travelling To Thailand May No Longer Need An Arrival & Departure Card

Prime Minister Sretta Tavisin announced that the country may potentially abolish the requirement for travellers driving from Malaysia to fill out arrival and departure cards at all land borders between the two countries.

As reported by The Thaiger, there is already a waiver in place for all visitors (regardless of nationality) arriving via the Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla from filling out the Tor Mor 6 (TM 6) cards.

Note that if you lose the card, you face a hefty fine by Thai Immigration. The exemption which has already been in place for half a year, ends on 30 April 2024.

However, frequent travellers to the country will know that visitors arriving through other checkpoints are still obliged to fill out and carry the TM 6 card and present it upon departure.

The other significant border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia are located in the Betong district of Yala and Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat.

Srettha disclosed the possibility of extending this exemption to other key entry points along the Malaysian border during a meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Melbourne which was held in conjunction with the Australia-ASEAN special summit.

The exemption for Sadao was designed to streamline the entry process and attract more Malaysian travellers and businesses to Songkhla. According to the 62 year old Thai PM, the exemption has been successful.

So far, the number of Malaysians visiting Songkhla via Sadao has tripled from 10,000 to 30,000. In 2023, Malaysia was at the top of the list of foreign travellers to Thailand.

The two prime ministers and Laos leader Sonexay Siphandone also discussed the 6 Countries, 1 Destination initiative which essentially allows foreign tourists to travel freely between the 6 nations (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia) after obtaining an entry visa for any one of the countries, rather than having to apply for visas for each. However, both the Malaysian and Laos PM said that they would have to examine the proposal in detail.

Sounds like hassle-free travel for our neighbouring countries are on the cards! Fingers crossed, globetrotters!