The leaders of Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to pilot the ‘Six Countries, One Destination’ Schengen-style common visa for continental Southeast Asia.
It would potentially give travellers free movement across six ASEAN countries on a single visa – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Thai Premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra during a recent ASEAN summit to discuss the initiate.
Thailand had already proposed the Schengen-type joint visa for Thailand and the five other countries.
The common visa has been discussed at length for many years as a way to boost regional tourism but until recently has made little headway.
TravelMole was present at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Vietnam prior to the pandemic when the issue was discussed between tourism ministers.
However, it was made clear the different countries’ fragmented immigration procedures made it difficult to find enough common ground.
Vietnam and Thailand said they will work closely together to ensure consistent rules to ensure seamless travel between the six countries.
