Vietnam, Thailand agree to pilot 'Six Countries, One Destination' tourism initiative

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the sidelines of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Vientiane, Laos, on Wednesday where the two leaders concurred to expand cooperation in potential spheres like economy and tourism.

Thailand earlier this year proposed a Schengen-type joint visa for itself and five other Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, to drive regional tourism.

The joint visa would enable tourists to explore all six Southeast Asian countries on a single visa.

Last year the six Southeast Asian nations welcomed a combined 70 million foreign tourists, according to official data.

Thailand has welcomed nearly 27 million foreign tourists this year, up 30% year-on-year, aided by favorable visa policies.

Vietnam, meanwhile, received 12.7 million international arrivals between January and September, surpassing last year's total.