AMID heavy cross-border travel to Malaysia during the current holiday three Thais who had travelled from Satun province to the neighbouring country and tested positive for marijuana at their checkpoint were immediately detained at a police station for three days and fined 50,000 baht, Amarin TV said this evening (July 29).
The three Thais, crossing over from Wang Prachan checkpoint on the Thai side to Wang Kelian checkpoint in Malaysia, were found to have traces of marijuana in their body through a urine test. Upon being detained they were also told that if they were granted bail they would have to report to Malaysian authorities.
As Malaysia classifies marijuana as a narcotic plant that carries a heavy penalty, Malaysian police and military officers at all border checkpoints are now on their toes checking passports, carrying out urine tests and scanning travellers and their vehicles to prevent infiltration of any form of this plant into their country.
Mr. Rosee Baikadem, a former deputy chief of Satun Provincial Administrative Organisation who travels to Malaysia frequently, said Malaysia had clearly declared that cannabis is a narcotic and should any Thais or Malaysians who crossed over to Thailand be caught bringing it to their country they would be jailed and heavily fined.
Malaysians were also forbidden from consuming any food or drink that has marijuana mixed in it.
Likewise a van driver who is an ethnic Thai with Malaysian nationality, said three Thais from Satun had already been jailed after traces of marijuana were found and that Malaysian law is a lot stricter than Thailand’s.
Malaysian officers are checking every nook and cranny of cars Thai tourists are driving across the border with no trace of marijuana in their body allowed either, he added.
They are also randomly checking vehicles with Thai licence plates even though they had entered Malaysia legally with his van too being thoroughly checked everyday even though he regularly meets these border officers.
CAPTION:
Thais entering Malaysia through a border checkpoint. The Thai headline says, “Thais have already been hit.” Photo: Amarin TV
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