Cambodia in Thailand’s 5 Country ‘one visa’ plan
Hot on the heels of Cambodia and Thailand jointly promoting the “Two Kingdoms, One Destination” campaign, Thailand is apparently planning to take on 3 more countries into the “one visa” policy.
The ‘Two Kingdoms, One Destination’ campaign was recently taken up after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet met his counterpart Srettha Thavisinlast week in Bangkok.
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After the communique both agreed to not only seek further ways for the two countries to cooperate touristically, but also how to integrate others within the region, with tourism ministers from both countries in talks over the next few days.
One visa plane?
As well as said bilateral coordination between the two countries, reports in Thailand have suggested at least three other countries are at least somewhat interested in coordinating further on visas. It has been suggested that discussions are planned with ASEAN members Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia on agreeing that a tourist visa from one country could be used to visit all 4 within the scheme.
While common in other regions of the world, this would be the first in South-East Asia and may even be a precursor to a full “ASEAN” visa, something that would undoubtedly help travelers on the so called “Bamboo Trail”.
The Thai premier’s adviser Prommin Lertsuridej was quoted as saying in the Pattaya Mail that Thailand “will lead negotiations for tourists to require one entry visa to travel amongst us (the five named countries).”
And while the idea is not new, with Thailand and Vietnam giving visa free entry to a number of countries, rules in other states, such as Cambodia and Laos tend to be rather different. Cambodia for example while offering an “easy visa” are rarely visa free.
If the five do arrange a deal it is further hoped that some kind of reciprocal offer could be gotten from European Union, whereby the later would offer visa free entry to citizens of “the five”, although this is certainly not expected to be achieved in the short term.
Speaking to local media Thourn Sinan, Chairman of the Cambodia Chapter of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), stated
“By collaborating on tourism promotion, the two nations can leverage their unique cultural and natural attractions to attract more visitors and create a seamless travel experience for tourists interested in exploring both destinations. This initiative could lead to increased economic benefits, cultural exchange, and strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries,”.
“If executed well, the campaign has the potential to benefit Cambodia by attracting more tourists, generating revenue, and raising the country’s profile as a must-visit destination,” he said.
He also welcomed the move to initiate talks on the proposal for a single tourism visa for the five Southeast Asian countries, adding that Cambodia supported the idea.
What could it mean for tourism in Cambodia?
Despite tourism being a mainstay of the Cambodian economy, numbers tp Thailand still dwarf home numbers.
Thailand attracted over 27 million tourists 2023 while Cambodia attracted 5.43 million. Cambodia has set a target to receive 6.4 million international tourists in 2025 and seven million by 2026.
Therefore any system that made travel from Thailand to Cambodia could and would only help tourist numbers within the Kingdom, or at least that is what is hoped.
Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
