Request Made For Turkey To End Visa Rule

[george]

Request made for Turkey to end visa rule

ANKARA: -- Thailand has asked Turkey to waive visa requirements for Thai visitors to help expand contacts between two countries, according to Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon.

Last year about 20,000 Turks travelled to Thailand but only 3,000 Thais visited Turkey partly because of the visa requirement, said Mr Kantathi, who concluded a three-day visit to Turkey on Saturday.

During the visit, Mr Kantathi also signed an agreement on reciprocal promotion and protection of investment with his counterpart, Abdullah Gul.

The officials held long discussions on ways to boost trade investment between the two countries as well as co-operate on tourism promotion.

Mr Gul, also Turkey's deputy prime minister, called on Thai hoteliers to tap the high tourism potential in his country, which boasts 17 million visitors each year.

Mr Kantathi said he also looked forward to promoting opportunities in Turkey to Thai restaurant and spa operators. However, at one point, he told a Turkish official that a major obstacle for establishing closer relations was the lack of information on Turkey available in Thailand.

The two sides also addressed the advantage each country offered for serving as hubs to do business in neighbouring countries, particularly through the benefits set in various free trade area agreements.

Turkey has implemented FTA pacts with Israel, countries in northern Africa and some of the Balkan countries while Thailand has signed agreements with Australia, New Zealand, China and India and is in the process of concluding an agreement with Japan..

Besides the full-fledged investment promotion pact signed last Friday, the two countries also signed agreements on avoidance of double taxation which will take effect in January 1 next year.

According to Thailand's ambassador to Turkey, Karun Ruechuyothin, trade between the countries more than doubled to US$438.3 million last year with Thailand enjoying a surplus of US$228 million.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-29

[tuky]

I hope they do waive the visa requirments for Thais, as I would love to take my wife and child with me as I do the Aussie thing there. Although if it goes through I am afraid it will be too late, as we are only a stones throw away from Turleky (as my wife calls the place) at the moment.

One thing I would love to see happen with the FTA countries is a visa upon arrival for spouses, open to abuse I guess so it will never happen but it sure would be good to be able to slip back to my family in Aust. whenever we desire.

As it stands now I do not know when I will see my family again, nor my family see my daughter as I refuse to go through the Aust tourist visa process, so my family will have to visit me, which will not happen as my Mother is too afraid to fly.