On 30 May 2026, Her Excellency Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, led Thai businesses in Malaysia to attend the opening ceremony of the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Free Commercial Zone at the Perlis Inland Port (PIP) in Padang Besar, Perlis, whereby DYMM Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, Raja Perlis, presided over the Ceremony; along with DTYM Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Ibni Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, Raja Muda Perlis; YAB Tuan Abu Bakar Hamzah, Menteri Besar of Perlis; YB Tuan Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport of Malaysia; Dato’ Shabaruddin Ibrahim, Group Executive Chairman of Mutiara Perlis Sdn. Bhd., the PIP developer; as well as senior representatives from the public and private sectors of Thailand and Malaysia, members of the diplomatic corps, invited guests, and media representatives, with more than 700 participants in attendance.

 

In his remarks, the Minister of Transport highlighted the strategic importance of the PIP project in enhancing Malaysia’s logistics efficiency, strengthening its competitiveness within global supply chains, and supporting economic and social development in the northern region of Malaysia, while emphasising the role of PIP in advancing Thailand – Malaysia relations by facilitating cross-border trade through the railway networks of both countries, improving connectivity to markets across ASEAN, China, Central Asia, and Europe through the Trans-Asia Railway network, and contributing to the achievement of the Thailand – Malaysia bilateral trade target of USD 30 billion by 2027.

 

On the same occasion, the Ambassador was granted an audience with the Raja Perlis and the Raja Muda Perlis, during which she conveyed her congratulations on the State’s economic and social progress and reaffirmed the longstanding ties and connectivity between Thailand and Perlis, while seeking Their Royal Highnesses’ continued gracious support for the welfare of more than 5,000 Thai nationals residing and working in Perlis. The Ambassador also met with the Menteri Besar of Perlis and senior Malaysian officials to congratulate them on the inauguration of the Free Commercial Zone, while reiterating the Royal Thai Embassy’s commitment to working closely with the State Government of Perlis and the Government of Malaysia to promote trade and investment, as well as to facilitate cross-border travel and cargo transportation, particularly through the Padang Besar border crossing in Songkhla Province and the Wang Prachan – Wang Kelian border crossing in Satun Province.

 

The Perlis Inland Port is a strategic national project under the 12th Malaysia Plan, implemented through cooperation among the Federal Government of Malaysia, the Government of Perlis, and the Malaysian private sector. The project aims to support logistics services for the Chuping Valley Industrial Area (CVIA) in Perlis and strengthen connectivity between Malaysia’s major seaports, including Penang Port, Port Klang in Selangor, and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor, as well as regional markets via Thailand. It is also envisioned as a key logistics and distribution hub serving northern Malaysia and southern Thailand.