A Border Town Like Danok That Grew From Kedah’s Export of Maksiat

A Border Town Like Danok That Grew From Kedah’s Export of “Maksiat”.
By Mihar Dias
(C) Copyright January 2022

Two border towns in Thailand have grown by leaps and bounds because they are well patronised by Malaysians. One is Golok across a river by the same name, a short walk from Rantau Panjang in Kelantan on the East coast. The other is Danok, a short distance from Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah on the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Danok, like Golok, is set to prosper more in years to come with policy changes that are taking place in Kedah. The push and pull factors involved will play equally important roles in determining its future development. Experience shows that the factors are in Danok’s favour. Kedah pushes out its people to go across the border because the state continues to deprive its citizens of fun. Danok accommodates these refugees who run away from their own homes, at weekends, to look for fun.

Danok is similar to Golok. The latter grew because it is continuously patronised by people from Kelantan ever since the state banned all forms of entertainment. All Kelantan women are aware that their men folks sneak into Golok for pleasures of the flesh, including body massage, reflexology or find a suitable mistress or even a second wife.

In recent years Kedah now headed by a Chief Minister from PAS, a party that champions Islamic religious causes, closed all entertainment centres, making its capital city, Alor Setar, a ghost town at night, forcing locals to drive to Penang or Hatyai in Thailand, at the weekends.

In the 60s and 70s, long before the construction of PLUS Expressway, people from Kedah (Kedahans) would head south to Georgetown on the island of Penang at weekends, looking for fun and entertainment.

Now that the Plus Expressway has made driving to Thailand a pleasant journey, the border town like Danok is set to capture the tourist dollars more than Penang could offer, now that it lost its free port status during the late 70s.

However, in recent years they head north partly because of the four-lane highway that makes Danok so easily accessible. At the same time, they can get a wider variety and more affordable entertainment than on the island of Penang or in their home state.

Hatyai which was once the topmost entertainment destination for locals in the northern area of Peninsular Malaysia is now overshadowed by this little town of Danok. It even rivals Padang Besar as a new tourism destination for the northern states.

Danok has grown so rapidly because Kedah allows it to grow in its desire to “export” maksiat. The state government in its attempt to be more Islamic has driven its citizens across the border. Along with them, they take their hard-earned money to make Danok grow into an entertainment centre of the north, taking away some of the business from the city of Hatyai.

Kedah has chosen to close all entertainment centres because the state government leadership considered such places as immoral or in Bahasa as “maksiat”.

Immorality sells. Danok embraced what Kedah rejected. A few years ago Danok was just an ugly border town for “sinners” who seek the company of sex workers. There was no natural environmental setting like a beautiful lake or a mountain that would drive tourists to the area.

It was built in reverse. Hotels grew because of prostitution. This was followed by restaurants and nightclubs that were meant to support the main business of the town.

A cultural village came later almost as an afterthought, located away from the busy centre that catered to the flesh trade. The immoral business that Kedah banned was eventually imported and welcomed with open arms by Danok.

But now advertisement promoting Danok offers entertainment that is not considered immoral, for all ages. For example, there is an Asian Cultural Village that caters for the whole family, providing the young ones with an opportunity to play in a Panda or a Dinosaur park or visit a traditional Chinese village decorated with coloured lanterns that brightened at night. An outdoor entertainment that is clean and enjoyable but Kedah refused to accept it as fun and entertaining.

For those who prefer shopping, there are many bargains outlets to buy souvenirs for all the folks back home. Then there are many excellent Thai restaurants to choose from at rates lower than those offered by similar outlets in Alor Setar or on the island of Penang.

Reflexology and massage parlours are abundant in Danok. Charges are more affordable than in Alor Setar.

For the adults, there are many places to go dancing or drinking while the night away.

People in Kedah, like their brethren in Kelantan, crave entertainment and Danok offers what was missing in their neighbourhood. Many go shopping, visit the cultural village and enjoy great Thai cuisines in Danok.

Entertainment need not always be immoral or “maksiat” as some clerics would call it in Kedah. They can be clean fun for all members of the family to enjoy. To label all entertainment as “haram” or maksiat is oversimplifying the concept of enjoyment.

It leaves one wondering what would Kedahans or Kelantanese do to enjoy themselves when there is nothing in their states that may be described as fun!

Mihar Dias is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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