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[webfact]

Thailand Supports “ASEAN Business Travel Card”

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has expressed its support for the development of an ASEAN Business Travel Card to ease the movement of ASEAN business people and investors.

In the weekly program “Yingluck Government Meets the People,” broadcast on the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) and Radio Thailand on 27 April 2013, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra spoke about her participation in the 22nd ASEAN Summit in Brunei Darussalam on 24-25 April.

She said that ASEAN connectivity was one of major topics of discussion at the summit. Concerning the ASEAN Business Travel Card, she said, the concept was proposed by Brunei Darussalam, as Chairman of the 22nd ASEAN Summit. The Prime Minister was of the opinion that it would facilitate travel among investors within the region and accelerate ASEAN connectivity. Thailand has already introduced exclusive “ASEAN Lanes” at Suvarnabhumi International Airport for ASEAN nationals.

ASEAN leaders called for support for the establishment of visa-free travel in ASEAN countries for ASEAN nationals and ASEAN immigration lanes. They also acknowledged the continued efforts in considering the proposal for an ASEAN Common Visa for non-ASEAN nationals that will facilitate business mobility and tourism.

Prime Minister Yingluck stated that, when the ASEAN Community is in place in 2015, other countries are likely to become more interested in investing in this region. The question is how all ASEAN partners should work together as a family to promote investment. Cooperation in boosting connectivity and reducing various gaps within the region will be needed, as well.

On the part of Thailand, she said, Thailand proposed the two-trillion-baht investment in infrastructure mega-projects. This concept involves ASEAN connectivity, linking Thailand with neighboring countries. As for connectivity under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), there are three projects being studied. They include the development of the Na Klua port in Trang province, the development of a logistics center in Thung Song district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, and the construction of a motorway from Hat Yai to Sadao in Songkhla province.

As ASEAN approaches to the establishment of the ASEAN Community, the Prime Minister said that a high-level task force would be set up to review and make recommendations on ways to strengthen all ASEAN organs in helping ASEAN Member States to fully implement their commitments to realize the ASEAN Community and to better prepare ASEAN to meet the challenges of the future.

Regarding the situation in the South China Sea, the Prime Minister said that, Thailand, as the coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, proposed to host a dialogue to ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, taking into account the importance of the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership in 2013.

Source: http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_news.php?id=6736&a=3

-- The Government Public Relations Department 2013-04-29

[soi41]

Runs in the family, the liking for cards for the already privilliged!

What about improving the overall conditions for all the migrant workers, without who all this "progress" wouldn't be possible??

[upena]

Nothing in the article says Thailand Supports “ASEAN Business Travel Card”

Thailand didn't support it before, why should they now?

[Ianatlarge]

An ASEAN wide visa for non-As people is not a silly idea, but I suspect not a big deal. However, there is already something like this in place? I vaguely recall reading about it years ago.

[Payboy]

The question is how all ASEAN partners should work together as a family to promote investment.

Not gonna happen.

If it is a family, then ASEAN is the mother of all dysfunctional families. Behind all the backslapping and thin veneer of bonhomie, lies years of mutual hatred and suspicion.

[lopburi3]

One off-topic post removed.

[Arkady]

The article doesn't specify what is meant by an ASEAN Business Travel Card. ASEAN businessmen can already visit other ASEAN countries without visas for short business trips. Does it mean that they will be able to work freely in all ASEAN countries without further documentation. I don't think so.

The ASEAN lane at Swampy seem to have replaced the Thai lanes which have been replaced by the electronic gates which is certainly progress. The electronic gates are also a plus for Thai dual nationals because it reduces the opportunities for nosy and envious immigration officers, who are ignorant of the Thai Nationality Act, to intimidate them about not having stamps or visas for countries they have just come from or are travelling to. That is also progress, even if it is an unintended consequence.

[Markaew]

"Thailand, as the coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, proposed to host a dialogue to ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea"

What success has Yingluck had resolving disputes? She is great at creating them. (And great at country hopping for her shopping)

Also: Thailand will never give up it's visa money grab from foreigners and have it distributed among other countries. So, this Asian-visa for foreigners will never fly. At least not to be used in Thailand.

Edited April 30, 2013 by Markaew

[Arkady]

"Thailand, as the coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, proposed to host a dialogue to ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea"

What success has Yingluck had resolving disputes? She is great at creating them. (And great at country hopping for her shopping)

Also: Thailand will never give up it's visa money grab from foreigners and have it distributed among other countries. So, this Asian-visa for foreigners will never fly. At least not to be used in Thailand.

It is not an ASEAN visa for non-ASEAN citizens it is for ASEAN citizens. The pan-ASEAN visa for non-ASEANS has already been knocked on the head by Thailand for the money grubbing reason you mentioned. The actual topic under discussion is just hot air because ASEAN citizens already have visa free travel within ASEAN.

[ubonjoe]

Not quite all ASEAN countries yet Myanmar does not have it for Thailand.

See: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/contents/files/consular-services-20120410-195946-424479.pdf

and http://www.mfa.go.th/main/contents/files/consular-services-20120410-195410-171241.pdf

I think the travel card might possibly give longer entries than exists now.

Edited May 2, 2013 by ubonjoe