On 10 July 2026, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the official opening of the new Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Sadao checkpoint - the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint road alignment co-presided over by H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister, and H.E. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the border crossing point on the sidelines of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Malaysia, before joining a working lunch between the two leaders at the Malaysian side of the border.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the road alignment symbolizes close and cordial relations between Thailand and Malaysia, and a shared vision for seamless multimodal border connectivity. He also thanked the Malaysian side for the cooperation in facilitating cross-border travel and transport, reducing heavy congestion at this checkpoint. Both leaders also placed importance on expanding connectivity and ensuring smooth facilitation at border checkpoints to develop the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand and the Northern States of Malaysia. The Sadao - Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint is the busiest between Thailand and Malaysia, with the highest volume of cross-border traffic of people and goods. It is also the border checkpoint with the highest cross-border trade value in Thailand, totaling more than 482,000 million Baht (approximately 14,500 million USD).

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister witnessed the Prime Minister accept a grant from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support relief and recovery efforts following the previous severe flooding in Hatyai, Songkhla province, at the border crossing point.