PADANG BESAR: The school holiday season has witnessed a surge in Malaysian tourists, particularly those from outside Perlis, travelling to southern Thailand for a break.
As the Christmas holiday approaches on Wednesday, traffic congestion in Wang Kelian has reached up to two kilometres.
However, conditions at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security Complex (ICQS) in Padang Besar remain smooth.
A check at Wang Kelian found that many vehicles, including buses, had arrived near the border as early as 6am, even though the Wang Kelian-Wang Prachan border gate opens only at 8am.
Most travellers were en route to holiday destinations, such as Satun, Pakbara, Koh Lipe, and Trang.
Zaidi Markom, 35, from Klang, Selangor, said he and his family were heading for Koh Lipe.
They left their home about 9pm the previous night and arrived in Perlis about 5am.
"After having breakfast in Kangar, I drove to Wang Kelian and noticed vehicles, including cars and motorcycle convoys, queuing at the Wang Kelian Immigration post, even though the border gate was still closed.
"By 9am, we had yet to cross into Thailand. Hopefully, there won't be any delay, as we've already booked a ferry and accommodation on Koh Lipe.
"Travelling to Thailand is more affordable compared with holidaying in Langkawi," he said.
In Padang Besar, traffic towards the ICQS Complex remained smooth.
Lee Seng Kim, 47, who was travelling with a friend, left Ipoh about 4am and reached Padang Besar at 10.30am.
"Traffic was manageable, but I'm unsure how the situation will be in Thailand. Hopefully, it will remain smooth.
"I plan to celebrate Christmas in Hatyai before heading for Songkhla and Krabi. Hopefully, the school holiday crowd won't disrupt our travel plans in Thailand," he said.
Meanwhile, Padang Besar district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Shokri Abdullah said traffic at the Padang Besar ICQS was normal.
"Vehicle movement in and out of Thailand is as usual for non-school holiday periods.
"However, our monitoring at the Wang Kelian Immigration post shows increased traffic compared to regular days.
"We expect traffic heading for the Wang Kelian Immigration post to increase from midday to early afternoon, as many travellers aim to visit Satun and nearby areas," he said.