Kelantan State Police Chief Datuk Mohamad Yusoff advises that Malaysian motorcycle convoy riders should "do their homework" and understand the local laws before entering Thailand in order to avoid being penalized for violating traffic rules.
He stated at a press conference on Wednesday (19th) that road users need to be aware that the regulations in other countries may not be the same as Malaysian law.
He said that this includes the issue of motorcycle modifications: certain modifications may be permitted in Malaysia, but could be illegal in other countries.
"In any case, this is why before entering someone else’s country, we must first find out what the country’s laws are."
"Sometimes their laws are different from ours. From their legal perspective, it is different, right?"
"In terms of motorcycle modification, maybe here we feel it’s okay, but in Thailand we are not sure about the exact situation, we don’t know whether it is allowed or not."
Mohamad Yusoff believes that anyone entering a country needs to comply with that country’s laws and regulations, just like foreign visitors coming to Malaysia.
"Similarly, when they come here, they must follow our laws. When we go there, it’s the same."
He added that apart from traffic rules, vehicle owners also need to consider other factors, including relevant documents (certificates) and insurance coverage before driving their vehicles into neighboring countries.