Finance Association, April 7 (Editor Shi Zhengcheng) According to the latest news on Sunday, Thailand, which has recently been making frequent offers to boost tourism, is promoting a joint visa program for six Southeast Asian countries similar to European Schengen visas.

As part of Thai Prime Minister Saita Taweishin's move to upgrade Thailand from a regional tourism center to an aviation and logistics hub, in recent months, Saita has discussed ideas similar to Schengen visas with various parties in Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Similar to European practice, the central role of the Southeast Asian version of the Schengen visa will be to allow the holder to travel freely in the six countries.

According to reports, most leaders have “responded positively” to this concept.

Judging from statistics, these six countries will receive a total of 70 million foreign visitors in 2023, of which Thailand and Malaysia account for more than half. For these countries, tourism is also an important economic pillar. Take Thailand as an example. 20% of the country's jobs are related to tourism, and tourism accounts for 12% of the total GDP of the economy.

For these countries, the biggest benefit of introducing a joint single visa is that tourists may spend more time in the region and also spend more time there. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, former chairman of the Thai Hotel Association, said optimistically that a joint visa might make it easier for some long-term travelers to decide to visit. At the same time, she also recommended extending the visa's validity period to 90 days instead of the current 30 days.

Judging from the past situation, the benefits of visa-free entry are not limited to travel; the convenience of travel will also have a positive impact on the exchange of business people and international trade.

Landing is not easy

Considering that most of the countries that make up European Schengen visas come from the European Union, countries can agree on uniform entry and short-term stay policies. Therefore, for SETA, if they want to replicate this system in Southeast Asia, they will also have to face the trouble of localization.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at the School of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, explained that this joint visa program requires simultaneous approval by all countries, yet these countries lack uniform immigration standards like the European Union, which may challenge this vision. Thitinan also mentioned that Seta is still a newbie in the political field and may lack influence to advance this international proposal.

Before joining the Thai Party in 2022, Seta's main status was a Thai real estate tycoon and the president and CEO of Shang Sirui, a well-known listed housing company.

Movements to promote tourism are frequent

According to the goals set by the Theta government, Thailand will hit the target of 80 million visitors in 2027. Since he took office, Thailand has signed a reciprocal agreement with China, the largest source of tourists, while granting short-term visa-free licenses to markets such as India.

More policies are also being discussed and implemented. For example, the Thai Parliament is studying policies to legalize casinos in large entertainment facilities, so listed companies such as MGM are also considering the possibility of investing in Thailand. Of course, the large entertainment facility itself is not just a casino, but a complex of five-star hotels, restaurants, and other attractions.

In addition to this, the Thai government is also exploring the construction of a “global medical tourism center in the post-pandemic era.” The Financial Services Association also previously reported that in addition to medical visas, the Thai government is also exploring amendments to the law to end the ban on foreign couples using commercial surrogacy services in Thailand.