Language barrier deterrent for Thais from visiting Malaysia

Source: thesun.my

PETALING JAYA: Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor says that the lack of tourists from Thailand in Malaysia is due to the language barrier, as he claimed Thai citizens have difficulty communicating in Bahasa Melayu and English.

He indicated an imbalance in the number of Malaysian tourists flocking to Thailand, reaching an estimate of 4.8 million Malaysians every year compared to the 1.3 Thai tourists visiting Malaysia, Harian Metro reported.

Sanusi added that efforts to increase the number of tourists from Thailand need to be undertaken immediately through various activities promoting the country's tourism sector including highlighting its attractive sights - especially leading up to the Visit Kedah 2025 campaign.

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"The Thai government has informed our side that their people do face difficulties in communicating in Bahasa Melayu and English compared to Malaysians who are more proficient in English, with some who have mastered the Thai language," he said during a press conference on Monday (May 6).

Earlier, Muhammad Sanusi received a courtesy visit to attend a meeting with the Thai delegation led by the Governor of Songkhla, Somnuk Promkheaw.

In the same press conference, Promkheaw also reiterated his commitment in helping KEdah and Malaysia promote their tourism sector to Thai citizens especially to those residing in the southern region.