Thailand’s visa vision: Six countries, one ticket to paradise

Cambodia has endorsed Thailand’s initiative to simplify cross-border travel for tourists from six countries via a unified visa policy known as 6 Countries, 1 Destination, aiming to establish Thailand as a hub for regional tourism, according to a Government House source.

Following discussions in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak, along with Dusit Manapan and Chayika Wongnapachant, advisors to Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, expressed support for seamless tourism between the two nations.

The source mentioned that the Cambodian tourism minister backed Thailand’s 6 Countries, 1 Destination initiative and committed to further discussions with Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, Customs Department, and other relevant agencies.

“The feedback from these agencies will be presented to Cambodia’s Cabinet for consideration before Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s official visit.”

This initiative seeks to enhance tourism and economic cooperation among Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Initially, Thailand plans to pilot this policy with Cambodia, to expand it to other nations soon.

The meeting also covered strategies to boost tourism collaboration. Key areas of focus included enhancing private sector cooperation within the tourism industry, developing interconnected tourism routes, particularly those linking UNESCO heritage sites, and increasing flight connections among the six countries.

A regional tourism calendar was also proposed to synchronise major festivals, such as the Thai-Lao-Khmer New Year and Chinese New Year while offering tourists hotel discounts and expedited immigration channels, reported Bangkok Post.

“Knowledge exchange programmes and activities to build tourism business networks were also discussed,” the source said.

Transport links were another significant topic, with plans to expand travel options by land, water, rail, and air. Thai Airways’ initiative to increase flights to Siem Reap in Cambodia was highlighted, alongside proposals for water and rail routes linking Thailand’s Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces with Cambodia’s Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot, and Kep provinces.