Analogue of Schengen Area May Appear in Southeast Asia, Bloomberg

An analogue of the Schengen Area may emerge in Southeast Asia. This idea has been put forward by Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. According to Bloomberg, in recent months he has discussed this with partners from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The proposal involves creating a regional analogue of the Schengen visa. If realized, tourists would be able to travel freely between the six neighboring countries.

As Bloomberg notes, Thailand aims to boost tourism revenue and protect its economy from adverse factors such as "sluggish exports and weak global demand." Most of the country leaders with whom Srettha Thavisin has negotiated have responded positively to the idea of a unified visa, the publication states.

“One visa could facilitate decisions for long-traveling tourists,” says Marisa Sukosol, former president of Thailand’s Hotels Association. In her opinion, the validity of such a visa should be extended from the usual 30 to 90 days to make it attractive.