Tourists could see SE Asia on single visa

JAKARTA, Thursday 17 March 2011 (AFP) - Travellers could soon be able surf in Bali, shop in Singapore and eat spicy street food in Thailand before crossing into Cambodia and cruising the Mekong in Vietnam -- all on a single tourist visa.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is working on a plan that would open the region to foreign tourists in the same way Europe's unified visa system has streamlined travel.

"You would just have to apply for one visa and you could then visit all the countries using that visa," said Eddy Krisneidi, an official at the Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat, which recently released its Tourism Strategic Plan for the next five years.

With attractions ranging from jungle-covered temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia to five-star beach resorts in Bali, Southeast Asia is a region that tempts travellers from all walks of life.

Large Number of Fake Visas from Cambodia Seized in Shenzhen

August 19, 2010
By Shenzhen Post Elaine (China)

Shenzhen border sector made announcement yesterday that large quantity of travelers holding Cambodian visas are trying to enter and exit through Shenzhen ports. But the border sector found a large number of those Cambodian visas are of counterfeit suspects, after which, relevant department informed the Cambodian Consulate General in Guangdong about this and confirmed that all the visas of the type are counterfeited.

From August 16, Shenzhen port has discovered that the sticking and electronic visas of Cambodia that part of the travelers from and to Shenzhen held are of the suspect of falsification. The border sector immediately made investigation and check with Cambodian Consulate General in Guangdong, confirming that those visas are all counterfeited. The checkpoint has made administrative penalty on over 50 fake-visa users according to immigration laws and seized all the fake sticking and electronic visas.

Through investigation, the border sector found out those fake visas were bought illegally from tourism companies or travel agencies who applied visas on travelers’behalf. Some travelers who did not know the truth bought the visas due to its cheap price and short issuing time. The suspects who making and selling the fake visas will be punished by the border sector jointly with relevant department according to laws so as to project the legal interest of the travelers from and to Shenzhen.

RI, Cambodia sign free visa agreement

Friday, June 4, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Cambodia signed a free visa agreement in Phnom Penh during Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa`s visit to that country on June 1-2.

Marty Natalegawa and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong at the agreement`s signing hoped the facility would improve not only the two countries` relations but also individual relations between the two nations as well as interactions between the two countries` businessmen, according to the foreign ministry here on Thursday.

Based on the agreement the two countries` citizens could visit to each other`s countries without visa for maximally 30 days.

The two ministers also agreed to push for immediate opening of direct flight service between the two countries.

They hoped the opening of the direct flight would improve connectivity in the region with regard to realizing the ASEAN Community in 2015.

One of Indonesian private airlines is expected to be able to conduct a maiden flight soon.

During the meeting Minister Hor Namhong expressed his appreciation to Indonesia that has consistently helped Cambodia especially in capacity building.

He also expressed his appreciation to the training of Cambodian prime minister`s security guards by the Indonesian presidential security guard unit.

He also appreciated Indonesia`s participation in the conservation efforts for the Angkor complex, which is a world heritage and the pride of Cambodia.

The Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur Temple in Indonesia are potentials that must be continued to be developed in the framework of increasing cooperation in the preservation of cultural heritages and tourism, he said.

Minister Hor Namhong also hoped for increasing economic cooperation between the two countries while referring to Cambodia`s potentials which could be jointly exploited by the two countries.

One of the sectors the Cambodian minister is eyeing for cooperation is agriculture. Cambodian has always had a surplus in rice production in the past few years.

In the meeting the Indonesian foreign minister also expressed his commitment to increase the two countries` bilateral relations and reaffirmed Indonesia`s continued committment to help Cambodia especially in the field of human resources development.

Marty also said Indonesia was very interested to develop wider economic cooperation with Cambodia and pledged in the next visit he would bring businessmen to explore potentials for economic cooperation.

Minister Marty while in Cambodia for an introductory visit had also paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and received a honorary degree from University of Cambodia.

Push for single EU-style visa for ASEAN countries

November 17, 2009
AP

The Philippines is proposing the adoption of a single visa policy for 10 South-East Asian nations, saying it would benefit trade and tourism.

Visitors currently need to secure separate visas for each of the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Philippine Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said he was pushing for a single visa for citizens of countries not belonging to ASEAN that would enable them to travel freely within the region.

He said the proposal would be discussed at a three-day meeting of regional immigration heads that starts on Monday in the Philippine capital, Manila.

Libanan said a common visa, modelled on the European Union system, would bring huge benefits in trade, investment and tourism.

The ASEAN member countries are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Thailand, Cambodia To Speed Up Single Visa Scheme

BANGKOK, Aug 5 (Bernama)-- Thailand and Cambodia on Wednesday agreed to speed up a single visa plan under the Ayeyawaddy-Mekong-Chao Phraya Economic Cooperation (ACMECS) grouping to boost tourism between the two neighbours, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya leading the Thai delegation and his Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong met in the 6th Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia (JC) held here on Wednesday.

The ministers told a joint news conference that their countries agreed to hasten the ACMECS Single Visa plan so that foreign visitors with a visa to either country can travel in both without having to apply for another entry visa.

The single visa is aimed at boosting tourism in both countries.

The ACMECS had since 2003 grouped Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to use their varied strengths to promote balanced development in the sub-region.

Hor Namhong said that the meeting also considered opening a new permanent border crossing between Thailand's Sa Keao and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey provinces.

The Cambodian minister said the new crossing will ease transport of agricultural produce between the countries.

For the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, he said the countries will sign an agreement on visa exemptions for holders of ordinary passports.

The Cambodian foreign minister said the agreement will facilitate travel within the two kingdoms by their citizens, and help promote a better understanding and relationship.

The ministers also inked a pact on transferring sentenced persons and co-operation in enforcing prison sentences, an agreement which is aimed at boosting cooperation and improved law enforcement and judicial administration in both countries, as well as to benefit prisoners on humanitarian grounds.

Regarding the border clash between Thailand and Cambodia after last year's listing of the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site by the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), both countries agreed to solve the conflict at the Joint Border Commission (JBC).

The Joint Technical Committee will also speed up the negotiations over the overlapping maritime area, as earlier agreed by their leaders.

The Thai minister said the joint commission meeting also agreed to resolve the landmine problem along the shared border as soon as possible.

"After the development of Highway Route 68 connecting Kralanh with the town of O'Smach near the Thai border, trades and investment between Thailand and Cambodia will be carried out with convenience and more safety," Kasit said.

The Thai Cabinet earlier approved a Bt1.4 billion (US$41.2 million) soft loan to Cambodia for upgrading its Highway Route 68 under a 30-year contract.

One visa for two countries

Wed, December 12, 2007
The Nation (Thailand)

Thailand and Cambodia will sign a single visa agreement on Monday enabling visitors from outside to use only one visa for two countries, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram would sign the agreement with this Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong when he makes his official visit to Phnom Penh on Monday.

The pact was a pilot project under the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).

Set up since 2003, ACMECS is a joint development scheme made of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Under the initiative of "Four countries, One Destination", the ACMECS Single Visa pact aimed to facilitate tourism in the region.

Foreign ministers of four countries agreed in Siem Riep in August 2005 to allow Thailand and Cambodia to implement the scheme first and the remaining members might join later if it is successful.

Visitors from outside could apply entry visa at embassies of either Thailand or Cambodia for two nations, said the ministry's spokesman Tharit Charungvat.

The arrangement would benefit for tourism of the two countries and visits apply only one visa to both Thailand and Cambodia which have many different attractive sites, he said.

However, the pact would not come into force until the Interior Ministry and concern agencies issued related regulations to enforce, Tharit said but did not say when such related regulations would be finished.