A total of 225 Malaysians stranded in Yala, southern Thailand have been allowed to return home, said Malaysian Consul General in Songkhla, Muhammad Ridzuan Abu Yazid.

He said that as of Wednesday, 139 returning Malaysians had crossed the Thai border -- 88 in Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam, 48 in Sungai Golok-Rantau Panjang and three in Wang Prachan-Wang Kelian.

"The consulate will be monitoring the rest (who are still stranded) to help them return home soon," he said.

He said those who returned would be quarantined for 14 days at the Institut Latihan Statistik Malaysia (ILSM) quarantine station in Sungkai, Perak.

Muhammad Ridzuan also expressed his gratitude to the local authorities which helped the Malaysians cross the border.

Prior to this, the Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla had brought home 233 Malaysians stranded in Narathiwat and Songkhla.

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, Thailand closed all nine border gates with Malaysia on March 23 until further notice.

-- BERNAMA