Rantau Panjang Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Rantau Panjang is a town in Kelantan, Malaysia. It is the major border crossing between Malaysia and Thailand for the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The town on the Thai side across the Golok River which forms the boundary between the two countries is Sungai Kolok.

The town has a duty-free shopping area where you can find electronic goods, cigarettes and clothes.

Rantau Panjang is a major road crossing between Malaysia and Thailand. For visa requirements to enter Malaysia, please see Malaysia | Get in section.

Rantau Panjang is about 40km from Kota Bharu, the state capital of Kelantan. The road between Kota Baru and Rantau Panjang goes via Pasir Mas. Rantau Panjang and Sungai Kolok are linked by the short "Harmony Bridge" over the Golok River. See below section for details.

Bus No. 29 operated by Syarikat Kenderaan Melayu Kelantan (SKMK) (which is owned by the same owners as Transnasional [1], hence the names on the buses), runs between Rantau Panjang and Kota Bharu every half hour and also stops at Pasir Mas in between. The journey takes about an hour. The bus leaves from the back of the Kota Bharu Bus Station, and the fare is RM5.10 as of May 2019. If you're going directly to Thailand, don't get off at the Rantau Panjang bus terminal - the next stop is much closer to the border crossing.

There are no cross-border buses into or from Thailand.

Shared taxis also run between Rantau Panjang and Kota Bharu as well as other destinations in Kelantan, or even further. Establish the fare before getting in. Again, taxis do not cross the border into Thailand.

Although there is a railway line linking Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas where it joins the main East Coast line, there are no passenger train services. The nearest station is Pasir Mas on what is known as the Jungle Railway. The town can be reached by bus or taxi.

A bridge links Rantau Panjang and Sungai Kolok. The Malaysian immigration is right in the middle of town just before the bridge. Most people without their own transport walk across the border. See Sungai Kolok page for connections to destinations in Thailand.

Rantau Panjang is small enough to be covered on foot. The bus station is located about 100 meters from the Malaysian immigration complex.

There is not much to see in town. If borders fascinate you, take a walk down to the Golok River near the bus and taxi station (walk in between the rows of shops). You will be right on the border between Malaysia and Thailand and you will be able to see how many people, and goods (rice from Thailand, consumer goods from Malaysia), cross the border without the hassles of immigration and customs. All this goes on under the watchful (or not-so-watchful) eyes of the border guards. Non-locals are NOT advised to cross the border unofficially.

To acquire some Ringgit just walk into the town square (see 'sleep') where there are plenty of ATMs.

• Shopping at the duty-free zone in town. Numerous shops offering items like electronic goods, clothes, cigarettes and others.

If you walk past the immigration office you have to take a right turn to enter the town. Keep on walking until you reach the main square. In the evening time there are eating stalls there and the guesthouses are also on this square, just ask. Single room RM15 and double room RM25. No luxury but clean.