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Rantau Panjang is a town in Kelantan which
is located near the Malaysia-Thailand
Border. Across the border is Sungai Golok,
Thailand. Rantau Panjang
literally means long region, "panjang" is long in Malay. Sungei Golok Town
is the town at the Thai side of the river. "Sungei" is Malay word for
river, Golok is the Malay words for traditional swords. Sungei Golok
literally means the river of swords.
Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok
Bridge (Malay: Jambatan Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok, Thai: สะพานโก-ลก),
popularly called the "Harmony Bridge" (Malay: Jambatan Muhibah), is a road
bridge crossing Kolok River (Malay: Sungai Golok) of the Malaysia-Thailand
border, connecting Rantau Panjang town in
Kelantan, Malaysia, with Su-ngai Kolok town in Narathiwat, Thailand;
spanning to the south of cross-border railway bridge nearby.
The residents of both town
used to cross the border without restriction, without any travel document.
But the border crossing is now strict, a border pass or international
passport is required.
The relationship of the two towns are close, the Malay residents in Sungei
Golok have dual citizen status, and will often travel to Rantau Panjang
and even to Kota Bahru daily for business,
education, and other purposes. At one time the children of the Malay
community in Sungei Golok go to Rantan Panjang for education, in either
Malay school or the only Chinese school in town. Most of the goods in the
Rantau Panjang market are from Sg Golok or other towns in Narathiwat
Province.
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