Single Four-country Visa Plan Gets Push

[george]

Single four-country visa plan gets push

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is pushing ahead with a plan allowing people to visit Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand on a single visa.

Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said he had asked his assistant, Sorajak Kasemsuwan, to look into the matter.

The idea was proposed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during an economic cooperation summit in the former Burmese capital of Pagan on Wednesday attended by leaders of the four countries.

They agreed to promote a joint strategy for tourism and boost cooperation among member nations.

If the plan is realised, visitors can apply for a visa in one country to travel to all four nations.

--Bangkok Post 2003-11-16

[george]

And The Nation reports:

Multi-nation visa plan moving forward

The Schengen visa initiative has taken another step closer to reality as officials study technical aspects of the plan, designed to allow foreign visitors to use one visa to enter neighbouring countries, Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said yesterday.

He said Cambodia, Laos and Burma had agreed in principle to the scheme, which Thailand believes will boost tourism and business in the region.

Surakiart ordered the ministry to look into the finer points of the plan, such as application processes, fees and security measures aimed at preventing “blacklisted” individuals from returning to their homelands.

It was not clear if blacklisted individuals should be denied visas to the other three countries as well.

Thousands of Burmese and Lao dissidents, who are not permitted to enter their homelands, have used Thailand as a meeting point to contact friends and relatives from home.

Surakiart said the scheme was aimed at boosting economic growth and tourism in the region.

[tomy]

Multi-nation visa plan:

i don't see any good benifit for us foreign, enter any country u want with this visa, but i only want to enter and exit only one country, so what is the use for this visa

[dr_Pat_Pong]

And The Nation reports:

Multi-nation visa plan moving forward

The chances of all four participating countries ultimately agreeing as to the way it will work is pretty remote. IMHO Not likely to come to pass.

[george]

And The Nation reports:

Multi-nation visa plan moving forward

The chances of all four participating countries ultimately agreeing as to the way it will work is pretty remote. IMHO Not likely to come to pass.

Here is an update, it seesm that they are trying....

BANGKOK, Nov. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai expressed confidence that the plan allowing people to visit Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand on a single visa would soon become reality since these three neighboring countries of Thailand had agreed in principle to the scheme, the Thai News Agency reported Sunday.

Surakiart said that he had asked his advisor to conduct a studyinto the feasibility of the single visa, which was proposed by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and would allow tourists with a visa for one country to visit the other three Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS) nations.

Voicing optimism that concrete developments would be made on the scheme in the near future, Surakiart noted that the leaders ofLaos, Cambodia and Myanmar had already agreed in principle in the leaders meeting of ECS in Myanmar last week.

All that now remained, Surakiart said, was for the four countries to exchange information to safeguard against possible security problems, noting that each country had its own immigration blacklist and imposed differing commission fees for visa applicants.

The minister stressed that when the ECS visa is in use, foreigntourists in possession of a Thai visa will be able to continue their travels in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, without having to make any further visa request. At the same time, anyone with a visa for Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia will be able to enter Thailand.

This is similar to the European Union, he said, noting that the issue would benefit all four countries.

[tomy]

I don't get it, just preten im from US and i have a visa to enter thailand for 60days,

once im in thailand i can use that same visa to visit Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, what if now im return back to thailand, do i use the same visa that i got when i left thailand, or it will consider being use. that mean i have to have all country visa to do it reverse, another one what if i travel on a 30days entry, now what same thing, back and forth i still need visa for every country i enter, bla, bla, bla, so what the changes

[george]

They have to be valid for at least one entry to each country. If they come as Multiple entry visas it would be great. No info yet if this is a Tourist visa or maybe Non-Immigrant Visa.

If it is a Multiple Non-Immigrant visa valid for 12/15 months it would be great, but I think this visas are for tourist purposes only.

[digibum]

How would this impact people who are now doing 90 day border runs? If they leave and enter one of the participating countries would it count as an exit and re-entry?

[sabaijai]

I can't see Myanmar agreeing to it. They have a visa blacklist that extends to over a thousand names I believe. Can't see them agreeing to allow the Thais, for example, to issue visas good for Myanmar.

Speaking more generally, all journalists are banned from entering Myanmar except with official permission. That is, journos can't enter Myanmar on a tourist visa. If the 4-country visa becomes a reality then Myanmar would lose control over this - among other - restrictions.

Meanwhile Yangon is busy sneaking nuclear materials and various weaponry into northern Myanmar, purchased from and shipped by North Korea. That may seem off topic, but what I'm saying is that a paranoid govt like Myanmar's is not very likely to agree to any sort of regional cooperation.

[rhaugland]

I, for one, would be much more likely to visit the other countries if they were included in my multi-entry Thai visa. Who knows if it will happen but it is good they are looking at it. The first non-regressive/oppressive visa idea to come from these folks recently.

I could live without going to Burma anyway if they reject the idea.

Also a further blow to the visa agents.

[stopper]

I bet it will happen. "Image" is a big thing to the Thai government. They want to be like the EU in that respect. It will be good for the economy as well. They will never agree on all the issues regarding the visas and that will be a problem when it is implemented. But I strongly believe it will happen.

[rhaugland]

...and you can bet that the pricing of the combined visa for the region will either gravitate toward the Thai price or escalate even higher. Can you see the Thai's sharing their enhanced visa revenues with the other countries?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Thailand has far more Consulates and Embassies in its diplomatic network worldwide, than does any of the other countries, so it stands to reason that Thailand's ' take ' would be unaffected. I think it'll be too hard for them to agree on the format, and the poor Schengen situation won't help either.

[A. BOOZER]

Personally, I think that this is a great idea. However, I do not see it coming to fruition in the near future. The practicalities of enforcing immigration checks would lead to queues miles long! (Sorry! Kilometres long.)

[Guest IT Manager]

the poor Schengen situation won't help either.

What do you mean by that Dr PP? I know what the schengen is but not how it works.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A visa for entry into a Schengen member country enables the holder to visit the other member countrieswithout a visa. The system is apparantly being abused. People are getting a visa from the least stringent country, and getting into countries that they otherwise not be permitted to enter.

[Axel]

A visa for entry into a Schengen member country enables the holder to visit the other member countrieswithout a visa. The system is apparantly being abused. People are getting a visa from the least stringent country, and getting into countries that they otherwise not be permitted to enter.

During my last visits to Shengen-countries I observed more strict controls deep inside the country. Police is stopping pedestrians on the street, asking for ID, usually from foreign looking people. Seems after all the border-immigration staff was not fired when the borders disappeared.

Among some visa-offices there is a 'competition' going on. Many of them have to finance their costs for office and administration from the visa-fee income. If they cannot, they have to apply for funds, which is felt as tiresome and embarrassing.

So the race is on to get visitors first to your own country as only the country of first entry can issue the Shengen - visa for the whole trip.

Sounds a bit like go to Hull cconsulate for a visa to Thailand. May be in future we can say go to .....consulate to get a Shengen-Visa?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Some of those over easy Thai Consulates ( Hull Birmingham those in Texas ) are being watched Axel. This seems to be the Schengen problem too.