SONGKHLA — 2 June 2026, Hoteliers in southern Thailand have urged authorities to streamline immigration and customs procedures after thousands of Malaysian tourists travelling during the Hari Raya holiday period faced long delays at the Thai-Malaysian border, with some forced to spend the night at the border after failing to cross before the checkpoint closed.

Sittipong Sitthiphatprapha, president of the Hat Yai Hotel Association, said tourism in Songkhla province surged during the recent Hari Raya holiday, with Malaysian visitors crossing into Thailand in large numbers.

He said hotel operators reported stronger occupancy rates than during the Songkran holiday period, particularly in late May when Malaysian tourists travelled to Songkhla for the extended holiday.

According to the association, the first week of June is also expected to remain busy because the Hari Raya holiday coincides with Malaysia’s school break.

However, Sittipong said tourism activity was likely to slow during the remainder of June, with hotel occupancy rates expected to fall below 50%, apart from weekends.

“Large numbers of Malaysian tourists crossed through the Sadao border checkpoint during the final week of May,” Sittipong said. “We sympathise with border officials, who were working at full capacity. When the checkpoint closed, many tourists were still unable to complete the necessary procedures and had to spend the night near the border waiting for it to reopen at 05:00 the next day.”

He said authorities had opened all available inspection lanes during the holiday period, but the measure had limited impact because thousands of travellers arrived at the same time, creating severe bottlenecks.

Sittipong called on the government to introduce digital systems to speed up border processing, including moving immigration forms and temporary vehicle import documentation online.

Among his proposals were ending overtime fees for immigration officers, integrating immigration forms into Thailand’s existing digital arrival system for foreign visitors, and allowing temporary vehicle import declarations to be submitted electronically through the Customs Department.

“These are measures that should be implemented urgently if Thailand wants to boost tourism,” he said.

According to the association, congestion continued on the night of 1 June, when large numbers of Malaysian tourists were unable to leave Thailand before the border closed.

Vehicles reportedly queued for more than 700 metres along three traffic lanes outside the Sadao checkpoint. Some travellers were forced to sleep in their cars, while others waited by the roadside until the checkpoint reopened at 05:00.

Sittipong questioned whether the repeated scenes reflected shortcomings in Thailand’s management of tourist arrivals and departures.

Local media reported that the congestion began in late May as Malaysian tourists entered Thailand in large numbers for the Hari Raya holiday period.

Private sector representatives said lengthy paperwork requirements for immigration and customs procedures had contributed to delays, preventing some travellers from crossing before the checkpoint closed at 23:00.

While some tourists chose to wait overnight for the checkpoint to reopen, others reportedly abandoned their travel plans and returned home, resulting in lost business opportunities for tourism operators.

Industry representatives said they had repeatedly proposed introducing online processing systems for temporary vehicle imports, but the issue had yet to be addressed by authorities.