Ambitious plan: With most countries positively responding to the single-visa concept, Thailand aims to generate more revenue per traveller and cushion its economy from headwinds such as sluggish exports and weak global demand that hurt the country’s manufacturing industry. — Reuters
The country is steering an initiative for a joint-visa programme with countries that together hosted about 70 million tourists last year as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ramps up initiatives to attract more long-haul and high-spending travellers.
Srettha – who’s pledged to elevate Thailand’s status as a tourism hotspot into an aviation and logistics hub – has discussed the Schengen-type visa idea with his counterparts in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam in recent months.
The facility is meant to ensure seamless mobility for travellers among the six countries.
With most leaders positively responding to the single-visa concept, tourism-reliant Thailand aims to generate more revenue per traveller and cushion its economy from headwinds such as sluggish exports and weak global demand that hurt its manufacturing industry.
The six South-East Asian nations reported a combined 70 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, according to official data.
The tourism industry is upbeat, with Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, a former president of the Thai Hotels Association, saying “a common visa could entice long-haul travellers to make an easier decision”.
The visa validity will need to be extended to 90 days from the usual 30-day period to make it attractive, she said.
And since taking power about seven months ago, his government has signed a reciprocal visa waiver deal with China – Thailand’s largest market for tourists – and offered temporary visa waivers for travellers from India, Taiwan and Kazakhstan.
If done right, the benefits of visa-free travel won’t be confined to tourism alone as ease of travel would be a boon for business travellers and trade, according to Bill Barnett, managing director of hospitality and property consultancy C9 Hotelworks.
But a Schengen-type visa, which allows free travel around the border-free zone within Europe, may be an uphill task given Asean’s poor track record in expediting multilateral policy framework and the group’s standing as a talk shop.
“Country by country seems to be the best way to do it,” Barnett said.
“Bilateral agreements, where governments are leading the way for this type of thing, make a lot of sense as they are looking outward and not inward.” — Bloomberg
