During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, control of the State of Kedah was given to Thailand by the Japanese. The State of Kedah was called Syburi under its Thai ruling.

People born in Syburi are considered subjects of the King of Thailand, thus, people who were born there and are now living in the state of Kedah are permitted to purchase land and live in Thailand even though technically, now they are living in a Malaysian state.