BANGKOK – The Malaysian government has approved the construction of a significant new security wall along its border with Thailand, allocating a budget of 1.5 billion ringgit (approximately 11.5 billion baht) for the project. The barrier will be built in the state of Kelantan, facing Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat, the Bangkok Post reported.

Narathiwat Violence Claims Four Lives, Including Child and Elderly Blind Woman

Kelantan state police chief Mohd Yusoff Manat confirmed the decision and budget allocation on Tuesday, noting that the chief secretary to the government, Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, has already conducted a site visit to the border area. The approval marks a significant policy victory for the Malaysian state, which has long advocated for a physical barrier to combat smuggling and other cross-border criminal activities.

The Malaysian government has approved the construction of a wall in Kelantan state along the border with Thailand fronting Narathiwat, and allocated a budget 1.5 billion ringgit (11.5 billion baht) for its implementation.

Listen to the story or get the full story in the 1st… pic.twitter.com/kZhLNaq92P

— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) October 21, 2025

This initiative represents the first such wall to be constructed in the Kelantan sector, though Malaysia has previously built similar “crime-stopper” walls in other sections along the border with southern Thailand. In addition to enhancing security, the new structure is also intended to serve as a flood prevention measure against the Golok River, which naturally demarcates the border in this region.

Southern Thailand Unrest: Multiple Attacks Hit Narathiwat

According to reports from the Bernama news agency, the initial phase of the project will see the wall constructed between the districts of Tumpat and Tenah Merah. The state police chief confirmed that the project, which will extend approximately 50 kilometers, is currently in the tendering process.

-Thailand News (TN)