Travellers to south-east Asia could get single visa

A group of nine south-east Asian countries may soon be offering a unified visa, similar to the one currently available in Europe.

Adventurous tourists think of booking flights to Thailand may be excited to learn that they could soon get a single visa allowing access to several other south-east Asian nations as well.

Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia are among the countries joining Thailand in considering the new system, AFP reports.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is said to be developing a plan, which is similar to the unified European visa, leading to easier travel between member countries.

As a result, travellers would be easily be able to string together a tour including surfing in Bali, exploring the historic temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia and shopping in Bangkok.

ASEAN countries welcomed more than 65 million foreign visitors in 2009, and other member nations include the Philippines, Laos, Myanmar and Brunei.

In its recent five-year strategic plan, the organisation acknowledged the difficulty of travelling around south-east Asia.

“One of the major concerns of visitors is the difficulty of obtaining visas, a series of widely differing regulations and information needs for visas,” the report said.

Source: Southall Travel