Sungai Golok (Ko-lok) Southern Thailand – Kelantan, Malaysia

Sungai Golok (Ko-lok) Southern Thailand – Kelantan, Malaysia

Last year I visited Kelantan for the second time in my life. My first visit in Kelantan was rather dull, I had to work and there was no time to travel. Furthermore I was stuck in Kota Bahru for a working event. Thus, for my second visit I rented a car and drove around Kelantan for sight seeing. It took me an hour of driving to reach Rantau Panjang. Rantau Panjang is the border town next to Southern Thailand’s Golok or Ko-lok (in Thai). Rantau Panjang is popular for duty free shopping arcades and shops.

I have heard so much about the Sungai Golok so I took this opportunity to see it by myself. I was told that the river actually separates Malaysia and Thailand without any fences! I saw a few people crossing the river back and forth, just like that. The people have stayed here for decades, even before the country’s independence.

This is as close as I can get to Thailand from where I stand in Malaysia side. This is Sungai Golok.

I didn’t go to Golok in Southern Thailand as I had quite a number of working equipment with me. Going through the border with my working equipment will be a hassle so we stay put in Kota Bahru.

Golok is a border town in Southern Thailand and it a popular tourist hot spot for Kelantanese. Golok is popular with its colourful night life, good food and Thai massages. Golok is very similar to Danok town which is another Southern Thailand border town.

Wilson Ng