The government spokesperson announced that the Prime Ministers of Thailand and Malaysia jointly opened the new connecting road at the Sadao border checkpoint today, highlighting the success of the official visit to Malaysia, which strengthens the leaders' friendship and links border economies to support trade and tourism.
On 10 July 2026, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, stated that the official visit of Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul to Malaysia on Friday, 9 July 2026, in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, was successful. Both sides advanced significant cooperation under the close relationship between their leaders, paving the way for economic, trade, investment, tourism opportunities, and tangible improvements to the quality of life for Thai people.
The Office of the Prime Minister spokesperson said that the discussions between Thailand’s Prime Minister and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim were friendly and constructive, reflecting trust and a strong bond between the two leaders. This foundation is key to driving effective and rapid cooperation. Both leaders agreed to transform the Thailand–Malaysia border area into a "zone of opportunity" for economic activity, trade, investment, tourism, and security to benefit citizens of both countries through joint development.
A major achievement is the accelerated linkage of infrastructure and transportation systems between Thailand and Malaysia to facilitate travel and freight transport, reduce logistics costs, and boost Thai businesses' competitiveness. The two leaders will jointly open the new Sadao and Bukit Kayu Hitam border checkpoints today, the highest-value cross-border trade points between the countries. They will also promote key projects such as resuming ferry service between Satun province and Kuala Perlis, integrating ticketing for Bangkok–Hat Yai–Butterworth trains, restoring the Sungai Kolok–Rantau Panjang rail route, and constructing a new border bridge to enhance trade, tourism, and sustainable economic development along the border.
The spokesperson added that the talks emphasized creating economic opportunities for the people. Both sides set a target to boost bilateral trade to 30 billion US dollars soon by facilitating trade, developing logistics systems, streamlining customs clearance, and linking supply chains in food, energy, and advanced technology industries. This will expand market access for Thai entrepreneurs, farmers, exporters, and workers in Malaysia and the region, generating income, employment, and enhancing the country's competitiveness.
Another key success was jointly witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in agriculture, a crucial mechanism to resolve agricultural issues, especially concerning shrimp and sea bass. The leaders agreed to promptly find solutions to these issues to alleviate hardships for farmers, improve quality of life, and create better living conditions.
On security, both sides agreed to jointly advance solutions to problems in the southern border provinces, enabling local people to live peacefully and securely with improved quality of life. This aligns with the government's policy prioritizing peaceful resolution of violence and sustainable development in the southern border area.
The spokesperson further stated that the Prime Minister met with Thai private sector representatives in Malaysia to hear their business challenges and suggestions. He affirmed the government's full support for Thai entrepreneurs in trade, investment, labor, and coordination with relevant agencies to enhance their competitiveness, especially by promoting mutual recognition of standards such as halal certification. This will open greater market opportunities for Thai agricultural products, food, brands, and workers in Malaysia and Muslim markets. During the visit, an MOU was signed between Malaysian private sector representatives and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to increase flights to other Thai airports like Hua Hin and U-Tapao, supporting tourism and people-to-people connectivity between the two nations.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the visit’s outcomes, which advanced many key issues, including infrastructure connectivity, trade and investment promotion, agriculture, tourism, security, and border area development. The government will promptly implement these discussions into concrete policies to ensure Thai citizens benefit from increased economic opportunities, leading to improved quality of life, especially in the southern border provinces. This will also build on cooperation for the 70th anniversary of Thai-Malaysian diplomatic relations in 2027 to ensure sustainable partnership.
This morning at 10:30 a.m., at the Sadao–Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will jointly preside over the inauguration of the road connecting the new Sadao customs checkpoint with Bukit Kayu Hitam. The Cabinet resolution on 7 July approved the opening of the new permanent Sadao border crossing, effective from 11 July 2026, with operating hours from 05:00 to 23:00 local Thai time daily.