What are the implications of having a common ASEAN visa?
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, along with Thailand’s government, is pushing for the adoption of a common visa among ASEAN countries.
Thai Premier Samak Sundaravej is on an official visit to the Philippines. In the agenda are discussions to promote tourism among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand will head the group starting this July. That is when the common visa will be put on the table for discussion with the other countries, according to reports.
Once adopted, a common visa for the 10 member countries will allow freer movement for tourists. An “country-hopping” tour can be offered as part of a package. It will save tourists money and time, by not having to apply for several visas to visit more than one country in the region. Tourism will surely be boosted among those countries, the Philippines included, which have made concerted efforts to promote tourism.
I’m not sure what the implications of this common visa will be to non-tourists. Will it mean that Filipinos who want to visit one of the member countries will no longer have to obtain a visa? Likewise, for other ASEAN nationals who want to go to the Philippines? Will it prove to be easier or harder for immigration offices to keep track of who goes through each country’s border?
Will you travel more among the ASEAN nations if you have a common visa for all of them?
via China View
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