KOTA BARU: Police advised Malaysian motorists driving in Thailand to have valid driving licence as well as ensure the vehicles are covered by insurance.
This is to prevent any untoward incident if they were involved in an accident in that country.
Kelantan police deputy chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Abdullah Mohammad Piah said it was quite normal for local Kelantanese to travel to Thailand using their own vehicles but they must make sure their documents are in order.
"This is to ensure they will not face any problem especially when they are involved in road accidents, such as the one which happened to a Malaysian driver who had rammed into a group of grass cutters in Songkhla, killing them instantly," he said.
Apart from having valid licence and insurance coverage, Abdullah said, Malaysian drivers should also follow the road regulations set by the local authority when they travel in Thailand.
On Aug 14, a Malaysian woman who is from Kelantan and two of her friends who were on the way from Krabi to Hatyai in Songkhla, saw their vehicle ploughed into six grass cutters who were resting on the road shoulder at Jalan Asia, Rattaphum District, Songkhla.
Five grass cutters died while another sustained severe injuries in the 2.40pm (local time) incident. The driver and her friends sustained light injuries.
Initial investigation found that the driver lost control of the vehicle and skidded to the side of the road before ramming into the victims.
The driver was found to have been driving without a valid licence while the vehicle involved in the incident only had a valid road tax but was not covered by insurance.
The 30-year-old woman has been charged with reckless driving resulting in deaths and damage to public property, and faces a jail term and fine, if found guilty.