A report in the vernacular Samila Times reports that the Governor, members of a local tourism promotion body and various transport groups have decided to ban all foreign buses (read: from Malaysia and Singapore) from transporting their nationals to any destinations outside Songkhla. The D-Day (term they use) in August 1. So if Malays or Singaporeans want to travel to say, Krabi, they will have to get a Thai bus from Haad Yai.

This is in retaliation for restrictions imposed on Thai vans operating inside Malaysia about a year ago.

Probably not much effect on 'visa runners' (a soon to be extinct species, we are told).

On another note, I was talking to a young Chinese teacher last night and he told me he just got back from China with a new visa, When I asked why he didn't just hop over the border to Malaysia, he said he and most other Chinese were 'boycotting' Malaysia over the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370.

He added that many Chinese were also put off about travelling to LOS due to the current (a)political situation.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/744652-d-day-all-passenger-vans-in-thailand-must-be-properly-registered-by-today/

Yes, I caught one of those awful Thai minibuses from Hat Yai to Penang and back last year. The idiotic driver was "hiding" behind other vehicles in areas where he thought he might be pulled over. e.g. travelling close behind a large lorry perhaps slightly offset to one side or the other. This was alternated with crawling along the hard shoulder at 15 km/h whilst he scanned up ahead for police.

I still see Thai registered vans running around in Malaysia.

Call them Malaysians, not every malaysian is malay.

And yes, there is a big drop of china tourist in Malaysia at the moment.

this coming asean common zone really will be fun wont it.