At the recently concluded ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) again brought the topic of a unified visa to the discussion table.
Originally proposed by Thailand in 2023, the concept was driven by the need to promote seamless mobility throughout Southeast Asia.
The proposal, however, only encompassed six countries under what is now known as the Six Countries, One Destination initiative.
At the time, these were Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam as, in April 2024, these collectively hosted 70 million tourists; Thailand and Malaysia, in particular, pulled in a total of US$46 billion in tourism revenues.
Then-Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin sought to implement the visa to streamline entry into the six named countries in order to boost both arrival numbers and maximise revenue per traveller.
But the question among both travel professionals and travellers is whether or not Southeast Asia is ready to roll the visa out.
A work in progress
The quick answer to that question is no; at least, not yet.
The more detailed answer is that it is still under discussion as there are a number of related issues that need to be addressed before the initiative can move forward.
In our piece The pros and cons of a regional unified visa published in May of last year, we delineated the most pressing of those issues.
At the time, these included:
- Political volatility and security issues We are all aware of the recent conflict between Thailand and Cambodia; ironically, two out of the six countries covered by the original visa proposal. Such conflicts are an issue with regard to the issuance of any visa that allows travellers entry into any neighbouring state, especially where their safety and security are concerned. And speaking of security, policies that may work in one nation may be in conflict with those of a neighbouring destination;
- Immigration control and data sharing Implementing a unified visa requires seamless data sharing between member countries, which can be challenging due to varying data privacy laws and security protocols; and
- A matter of cost Real talk: who needs to shoulder the bill for all relevant infrastructure, data sharing protocols, and the implementation of security measures? In a region still marked by significant economic instability, this question can be difficult to answer: do all participate or only those who can afford it? If the latter, the matter of regional inequality will come up and be yet another point of contention, especially if those who can afford to invest in the initiative push their respective agendas over everyone else’s.
Dissension amongst neighbours
Interestingly, especially in light of current geopolitical issues in play, Philippine congressman and former immigration commissioner Rufus Rodriguez called out his country’s support of the unified visa initiative in May of last year, citing how such a visa could be used by foreign spies and compromise national security.
Chinese tourists availing of a unified visa are also seen as a challenge for Thailand.
William J Jones, chair of the social science division of Mahidol University International College, points out how Thailand is struggling with what he refers to as visa issuance abuse: Chinese nationals moved to Thailand following stricter regulations against gambling in Cambodia in 2024.
Such laxity in visa regulation resulted in an increase of incidents, particularly related to violence, gambling, cybercrime, and drugs.
Espionage and crime aside, humanitarian reasons are another factor that is keeping ASEAN from finalising a vote in favour of the unified visa.
This is related to the regional bloc’s stance against the ruling military junta of Myanmar, as well as its recent collective refusal to accept the results of that country’s elections last month.
No end in sight (at least, for the moment)
In June last year, travel and tourism analyst Gary Bowerman wrote:
“For now, the introduction of an ASEAN visa seems remote, but it could gain new impetus as the regional chair rotates to a nation geographically distinct from mainland Southeast Asia.”
As Bowerman explains it, something as major as synchronising security measures, data sharing mechanisms, and even diplomatic and immigration protocols throughout an incredibly politically and economically diverse region would be, in his words, a seismic leap of faith.
After all, unlike its counterpart the European Union, ASEAN doesn’t have the kind of supranatural institutions that would have the power to make decisions and enforce measures stringently throughout the region, let alone a central bank to finance such a massive endeavour.
Indeed, a unified ASEAN visa is not something that member-states can simply vote into being for immediate implementation.
Such a measure which encompasses national borders, national and regional security, as well as diplomacy is something that needs to be mulled over for as long as it takes to become a tangible, even practical reality.
