KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 16): Malaysians travelling to the southern Thailand provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani have been advised to avoid going out at night due to rising violence in the area.

Malaysia’s consul general in Songkhla Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi told Mingguan Malaysia that this is only a travel advisory, not a ban on entering Thailand.

“When there is a rise in violence in these three provinces, we issue a travel advisory asking Malaysians to be more cautious in their movements.

“We always advise Malaysians to limit their movements at night in these three provinces for their safety and to avoid any unwanted incidents,” he said.

He reminded Malaysian tourists to obey local laws, especially when driving. All documents — driver’s licence, road tax, vehicle registration, or a letter from the owner if the car doesn’t belong to one — must be complete. He also noted that Thailand’s maximum speed limit is 90km/h.

Given the current rainy season, travellers were also advised to follow local weather reports, watch out for flash floods and avoid speeding.