The Wang Kelian border checkpoint

Wang Kelian is a village in the northern part of Perlis state in Malaysia.

Understand

Wang Kelian is located about 40 km from Kangar and is surrounded by pretty limestone hills. It attracts many visitors because of its weekend market which straddles the Thai-Malaysian border. The Perlis State Park is also located nearby.

There is also a border crossing between Malaysia and Thailand at Wang Kelian. The Thai checkpoint is called Wang Prachan and is 32 km from Satun.

Get in

Visa

Travellers can easily walk across the border and the two immigration posts are about 100 m apart. Songthaews (small passenger trucks) to Satun wait for passengers on the Thai side of the border. On Sundays, you can walk across the border without getting your passports stamped but you have to stay within the market area. Make sure to get the necessary stamps if you plan to go further.

For more information on same-day visa runs from Thailand, see Padang Besar (Thailand)#Visa.

By road

Wang Kelian is easiest reached with your own transport. From Kangar, use Route 7 towards Padang Besar and then turn off onto Route 15 towards Kaki Bukit where you take a right turn and head towards Wang Kelian. The road winds up a ridge and then descends into a valley, with Wang Kelian village right at the bottom. At the junction, take a right turn to the Perlis State Park, market and the border.

Wang Kelian is about 40 km from Kangar.

By taxi

You can get a taxi from Kangar or Padang Besar to Wang Kelian. Alternatively, you can catch a bus to Kaki Bukit and catch a taxi from there, which would cost you less.

By bus

There are no direct buses to Wang Kelian. The nearest point with a bus service is Kaki Bukit which is served by buses from Kangar and less frequently from Padang Besar. You will have to catch a taxi from Kaki Bukit to Wang Kelian.

Get around

You will need your own transport to get around the various attractions in Wang Kelian, namely the Perlis State Park, market and the border.

See

• Perlis State Park – One of Malaysia's newest parks, the 5,000 hectare Perlis State Park is located along the northwestern part of the Thai-Malaysian border and covers parts of the limestone Nakawan Range. The Range is heavily forested, extensive cave systems, sheer cliff faces and numerous streams. Getting there: The park headquarters is located along Route R15 which runs from Kaki Bukit town to the Thai border.

• Wang Burma cave – A spectacular cave located inside the Perlis State Park. The cave is divided into 2 parts - Wang Burma 1 has beautiful limestone formations like stalactites and stalagmites and can be easily visited while Wang Burma 2 will require a lot more physical fitness. Visitors must be accompanied by a guide from the Perlis State Park headquarters.

Do

• Shopping at Weekend Market – There is a market everyday but what makes it unique is that on Sundays, the border is thrown open and visitors can visit the Thai section of the market without needing passports. The market basically lines the Wang Kelian-Satun road, stretching about 1km on both sides of the border. The items on sale include cheap clothing, household stuff and food, most made in Thailand.

Buy

Malaysian visitors typically buy Thai fruit such as lychee, durian, mango and longan. Thai visitors to Malaysia usually stock up on electrical appliances, cooking oil, and Malaysian packaged food.

Eat

Enjoy 'pulut ayam' (glutinous rice and fried spicy chicken), 'somtam' (Thai hot and sour salad made of young papaya, mango, shrimp, chilli, squid sauce)

Sleep

The nearby National Park (1 km from the border) might allow for camping.

Otherwise you will need to proceed to Padang Besar or Kangar for accommodation. Or cross over to Thailand, and stay in Thale Ban National Park or Satun.

Another alternative for a cheap and comfortable place to sleep is the area of Mata Ayer about 35 km from Wang Kelian, situated in between Arau and Kangar in the middle of Perlis state.

At Mata Ayer, there are many guest-houses provided by the locals for daily rental and they are cheaper than hotels. The guest-houses do not restrict on the number of occupants. The owners do not stay with the guests, you have your own privacy.

Go next

• Kangar