RANTAU PANJANG: Thai motorists started coming over the border yesterday to buy petrol and diesel. They have also returned to other towns close to the Kelantan-Thai border.

This is in sharp contrast to the scene in the past few days when Thais were banned from buying the highly-subsidised petrol and diesel within 50km of the border. The ban was imposed on Monday.

Although Malaysia has reduced the subsidy, fuel is still cheaper in the country than it is in Thailand.

Suriani Sulaiman, a trader, said she was glad that the Malaysian government had lifted the ban.

"This shows that the Malaysian government, especially the prime minister, is concerned about us Thai people.
"We have no other need from the government except to allow us to buy fuel here," said the 38-year-old woman from Waeng.

Caltex petrol station owner Che Yam @ Zahrah Che Seman, 62, said a Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Department officials went to her shop on Wednesday evening and told her that the ban on sales to the Thais had been lifted.

"At first, I thought he was joking just to check on me, but I was wrong.

"He told me that the prime minister had just announced it on television.

"Hearing this, I was so happy. In the last few days, my business has been bad because all my Thai customers have gone."

Checks at the other three petrol stations here showed that Thai motorists had returned in large numbers.

Many of them could be seen filling up their tanks in Pasir Mas and Tumpat.