Arked Niaga Padang Besar

Arked Niaga Padang Besar is the go-to border market in Padang Besar, Malaysia if you want a taste of Thailand without crossing over. No trip to Padang Besar would be complete without visiting Arked Niaga which is the main attraction here.

Arked Niaga Padang Besar is also commonly miscalled as “Duty Free”, which is not true. The real duty free shop is The ZON Duty Free Padang Besar in the middle of Malaysia and Thai checkpoints, which is not accessible now. You may or may not pay a form of tax unknowingly at Arked Niaga, and prices here may not be the cheapest in Malaysia too.

With the limited time I had in Padang Besar, I stayed around the outside of Arked Niaga to not get lost in the MySejahtera entry and exit labyrinth.

After arriving from ETS Platinum Standard 9274up, I got a Kereta Sewa from Padang Besar Railway Station to Arked Niaga which costed me RM10.

Some fruits are on offer, although I cannot ascertain that these are actually from Thailand during this border closure period.

The fried snacks stall is as popular as ever, with various sticky rice and noodle dishes too.

Pre-packed Thai snacks are also on sale around Arked Niaga.

It was quite a refreshing sight for me to see a market without borders, beeps, and stickers, just like how markets should be.

I got some snacks and a pack of dodol from Arked Niaga since shopping is a must here. The dodol tastes quite Malaysian though, so I’m not sure now about the other stock in the market, if they are still from Thailand or not.

After my short shopping visit to Arked Niaga Padang Besar, I got another a Kereta Sewa for RM10 to head back to Padang Besar Railway Station to be in time for my next train, KTM Komuter Northern Sector 2963dn from Padang Besar to Butterworth.