Kedah MB: Not Many Thai Tourists Visit Malaysia Because Thais are Not Proficient in English or BM

It’s no secret that Thailand is one of the most popular travel destinations for Malaysians, with tourists from our country making up the largest number of foreign travellers in Thailand last year with a whopping 4,626,422 visitors.

This trend is not slowing down anytime soon too, as Thailand recorded 1.39 million Malaysian visitors from 1 January to 16 April 2024. With that being said, have you ever considered the other way around, especially why there are not that many tourists from Thailand visiting Malaysia?

Not many Thai tourists visit Malaysia because of the language barrier

Well, according to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, among the reasons why not many Thais visit our country is because of the language barrier.

Speaking to the media during the courtesy visit of the Thailand delegation led by Songkhla Governor Somnuk Promkheaw to Kedah on Monday (6 May), Sanusi said that it’s hard for Thais to speak English or Bahasa Melayu.

On the other hand, Sanusi said that Malaysians are proficient in English and some have even mastered the Thai language.

The Kedah Menteri Besar was quoted by Harian Metro as saying,

“The Thailand delegation informed us that there are indeed difficulties, as it’s hard for Thais to speak Bahasa Melayu or English compared to Malaysians who are fluent in English and some even mastered the Thai language,”

Sanusi added that around 4.8 million Malaysians visit Thailand on average each year compared to around 1.3 million Thai tourists visiting Malaysia annually on average.

The Thailand delegation to promote Kedah and Malaysia’s tourism sector to Thai citizens

In the same press conference, the Songkhla Governor pledged his commitment to assist Kedah and Malaysia in promoting our tourism sector to Thai citizens, especially those residing in the southern Thai provinces.

Furthermore, Kedah and the Thailand delegation also agreed to set up a special border committee between Kedah and Songkhla to resolve pressing issues in the trade, tourism, education and culture sectors.

So, what’s your opinion on the matter? Share your 2 cents with us in the comments!

Also read: Thailand Records 11.95 Million Foreign Tourists in 2024 So Far, Over Double Malaysia’s Global Arrivals