Single visa test-run
A single visa for Thailand and Cambodia is ready for launch 27 December at all of the countries’ consulates and embassies. It is a test phase of a wider project called ACMECS Single Visa (Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy) involving Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar that originated in 2005, under the concept known as “Five Countries, One Destination”. Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Consular Affairs, Visa and Travel Documents Division director, Pratak Sikhamonton, told TTR Weekly that the Thailand-Cambodia single visa would be initially valid for 35 countries, as of 27 December. The nations on the list were selected due their economic potential and track record as strong tourism suppliers to the region. … Revenue earned from visas is on the decline as countries add more nationalities to their visa-free list. Also the nations that require a visa for both Thailand and Cambodia are dwindling, which reduces the importance of the project to some degree. However, for the nationalities that do require visas for both countries the convenience of a one-stop shop saves the Mekong Region traveller time and expense. …
