Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to promote the use of single visa for foreign tourists, particularly among those traveling within the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) countries.
In the second Cambodia-Thailand tourism Ministers meeting held in Kampot, the two sides said they planned to bring up the idea of using ACMECS single visa for foreign tourists to the Asean Tourism Ministers meeting.
The proposal for single visa for the region was unveiled after a model scheme was implemented successfully between Cambodia and Thailand. Currently, only Cambodia and Thailand use the multiple-entry visa for foreign visitors.
In June, ACMECS countries discussed the model of multiple-entry visa in order to boost the tourism sector in the region.
The ACMECS comprises of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. All ACMECS members are part of Asean, and the ACMECS single visa is expected to pave the way for an Asean common visa.
Chhay Sivlin, deputy president of the Federation of Asean Travel Association (FATA), said the Asean countries have been working to promote the use of single visa for the region. She applauded the ACMECS single visa proposed by Cambodia and Thailand.
“It would be a great move for the single visa to be implemented in the region and among the CLMV and Asean as a whole, For ACMECS countries, it will help to boost the number of foreign tourists, particularly western tourists who likes the Mekong river region,” Ms Sivlin said.
In the upcoming Asean Tourism Ministers meet, the single visa use in the region is expected to be discussed, Ms Sivlin who is also the president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents said.
“We [FATA] have talked and discussed on the single visa, so we hope we will see a follow-up in the upcoming Asean Tourism Ministers Meeting,” Ms Sivlin said.
