A Schengen-style visa for Southeast Asia? Thailand considers joint visa across 6 nations

In a move to promote seamless mobility across Southeast Asian countries, Thailand is leading an initiative for a joint visa programme spanning six nations. The proposed single visa would encompass Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar, collectively hosting 70 million tourists last year. Notably, Thailand and Malaysia contributed over half of this figure, clocking in USD 48 billion in tourism revenue.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin aims to streamline tourist entry by implementing a single visa for these six nations, thereby boosting tourist arrivals and maximising revenue per traveller. Targeting affluent long-haul holidaymakers, this initiative will enhance Thailand’s appeal as a tourist destination while also fortifying its aviation and logistics sectors. The Thai PM has also discussed this Schengen-like Single Visa with counterparts from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar in recent months.

Thailand’s Single Visa initiative: Key points

Thailand is steering an initiative for a joint-visa program with countries that together hosted about 70 million tourists last year https://t.co/95FtIIvWzl

— Bloomberg (@business) April 6, 2024

The proposed Single Visa seeks to boost tourism in Thailand, a sector accounting for 20 percent of its total employment and contributing 12 percent to its USD 500 billion economy. The initiative aims to lure long-haul vacationers to extend their stays and explore multiple countries by offering a common visa for six regional nations. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, a former Thai Hotels Association president, suggests extending the visa validity from 30 to 90 days to make the offer more attractive.

Thai PM Thavisin aims to welcome 80 million tourists by 2027, with the government actively pursuing initiatives to achieve this goal. Recent efforts include signing reciprocal visa waivers with China and providing temporary visa waivers to passport holders from India, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan. Additionally, the government plans to promote event-based tourism and develop casinos with entertainment complexes as part of its tourism-centric strategies.

While the proposed venture promises to revolutionise tourist travel and the perception of holidays in the region, experts believe that bilateral visa-waiver agreements between individual nations may present fewer challenges in implementation.

(Feature Image Credit: Andrey_Vasiliskov/Shutterstock)

This story first appeared on Travel + Leisure India.