The leaders of Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to pilot a plan for a new entry system that would allow visitors to get one visa and pass into six countries in Asia.
The six ASEAN countries involved—Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam—would allow a visitor to get one visa and then travel freely to the other five countries without having to get separate visas for each.
It would be similar to the visa system used for the Schengen countries.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos, last week. The two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in potential spheres such as tourism.
The decision was made to call the system “Six Countries, One Destination.”
The common visa was discussed as early as before the pandemic—it could potentially boost regional tourism—but until recently, the idea hadn’t gotten very far.
The concept still might not make it off the ground. There are several social/political issues to iron out, not the least of which is the different ways each country proceeds with immigration in their respective countries. But if they can find some common ground, it could make travel to Asia easier in the not-too-distant future.
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3 comments
Myanmar? Aren’t they in the middle of a civil war?
Americans don’t need visa for Thailand or Malaysia so it would effectively be a 4 country visa, if implemented. It would be Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
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The program would not just be for Americans.