Last 12 months, some 70 million tourists visited Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam combined. Sensing a possible boost in tourism in the long run, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is spearheading efforts to ascertain a Schengen-like visa program for the six Southeast Asian countries. The initiative goals to make travel more convenient for visitors to those neighboring countries and attract more high-spending tourists, ultimately boosting the tourism sector. Reports suggest that Srettha has discussed the proposed single-visa system with other leaders, receiving mostly positive responses. The query stays: will this unified visa system prove useful for tourists?
Former Thai Hotels Association president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi believes a standard visa could make it easier for long-haul travellers to decide on these destinations for his or her trips. To make it more attractive, she suggests extending the visa validity to 90 days, slightly than the usual 30-day period. Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, adds that along with the tourism advantages, seamless visa-free travel could also facilitate business travel and trade, supporting overall regional development.
While the single-visa proposal represents certainly one of Srettha’s most ambitious tourism strategies, it’s designed with long-term impact in mind. The tourism sector has played a key role in countries’ economies, accounting for a major share of jobs and GDP. Even in difficult times akin to pandemics, tourism has been a resilient sector, cushioning declines in manufacturing and exports, that are the standard pillars of the economy. Remarkably, six Southeast Asian countries combined welcomed 70 million international visitors in 2023, with Thailand and Malaysia being the biggest contributors, bringing in about $48 billion in tourism revenue.
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