Mittas Hopes M'sian Tour Buses Are Allowed To Travel All Over Thailand

GEORGE TOWN (Penang, Malaysia), Aug 14 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand Tourist Associations (Mittas) are working closely with authorities to iron out issues facing tour buses and vans from Malaysia to Thailand. Its chairman Syed Aidid Syed Murtaza said the association understood and was working with the authorities, namely the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Malaysia to review the matter. "We can iron out (the issues)...historically we have ironed out and have asked the border to be opened until 12am. We have a good relationship with the authority of Thailand and Malaysia and will work together to resolve it," he told reporters officiating the Business Networking Session with Mittas, here Thursday. Syed Aidid said Mittas was working closely with the Malaysian authority, its partner in Indonesia and would work with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to resolve the issues as soon as possible as there was mutual interest. He said when responding to reports that tour buses and vans from Malaysia and Singapore would no longer be allowed to operate beyond Thailand's Songkhla province, starting Aug 1. Tourists who wished to travel beyond Songkhla, which is also where Haadyai is located, will have to switch to Thai-operated buses or vehicles. Syed Aidid said Mittas hopes the issues would be resolved and revert back to old arrangement and understanding as Malaysian tour buses and vans have been allowed to travel all over Thailand for the past 39 years. Meanwhile, Tourism Malaysia Penang senior tourism officer Logi Dhasan Thanaraj said the Ministry of Tourism was taking action on the issues as it involved policy matters. "We have not received complaints from tour operators but Tourism Malaysia is trying to simplify it so tourists would not face any hassle," he added. -- BERNAMA