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Thailand has proposed to its regional neighbors to create an analogue of the Schengen zone. Tourists from all over the world will be able to travel freely between six countries: Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. RBC reports this with reference to Bloomberg.
The idea of creating a “South Asian Schengen” has been discussed for a long time, but now it has a better chance of being realized. Leaders in the region are concerned about “sluggish exports and weak global demand” and see tourism as a way to protect their economies.
According to experts, a single visa could become an incentive for tourists traveling long distances. However, to do this, the visa validity period must be increased to 90 days instead of the standard 30.
In 2023, Southeast Asian countries received about 70 million tourists. Thailand and Malaysia became the leaders in this indicator, earning $48 billion from tourism.
The administration of Thailand's Prime Minister Srett Taweesin aims to attract 80 million tourists by 2027. Some steps have already been taken to achieve this goal, such as visa waivers for tourists from China, as well as temporary visa waivers for travelers from India, Taiwan and Kazakhstan.