Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the related ministries and agencies would be holding discussions on the details of procedures for the reopening of the common border.

“For a start, we can implement the air VTL between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok for travellers who are fully vaccinated. We will also consider adding other destinations in future.

“The VTL scheme will also be expanded to open land borders via Bukit Kayu Hitam-Sadao as well as all customs and immigration checkpoints in the north of the peninsula and southern Thailand and the sea VTL between Langkawi and Satun.

“This will certainly help to revive the economic and business network between the two sides especially in the tourism sector,” he said in a joint media conference after a restricted meeting with Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha.

Ismail is on a three-day official visit to Thailand, as part of a familiarisation tour of Southeast Asian countries since he took office in August 2021.

He said he and Prayuth had also discussed the construction of a second friendship bridge across Rantau Panjang and Sungai Golok, and that a new bridge for Pengkalan Kubor to Tak Bai be expedited.

On regional issues, Ismail said he and Prayuth also discussed the situation in Myanmar and agreed that Asean should continue to seek a return to democracy in Myanmar.