Visa requirements exempted for Indonesians

 

The agreement is a step towards the Asean regional common visa which Myanmar hopes to implement by 2015 as stipulated by the Asean Framework Meeting in Malaysia in 2006.

The agreement was signed at a meeting of foreign affairs ministers during the 24th Asean Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw recently. 

Thailand’s deputy prime minister Phongthep Thepkanchana, said that Thailand also planned to institute a visa exemption agreement with Myanmar, but there were some differences of opinion. 

“Our side has planned to give visa exemption to those who enter through 20 airports, by air first. But the Myanmar government wants all people that come to Thailand to be given [the exemption]. In that point, opinions differ. However, the visa exemption will come sooner or later,” he said. 

The Myanmar government sees such agreements as not only beneficial to the tourism sector, but also to enhance trade between countries. Trade between Myanmar and Indonesia is expected to reach US$1 billion by 2016.

To promote tourism, Myanmar has already abolished visa requirements for nationals from Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. 

According to statistics for 2013, travellers from Asia commanded the biggest share of arrivals with 630,399 (70 per cent), followed by 158,163 from Western Europe (18 per cent), 62,628 from North America (7 per cent), and 28,079 from Oceania (3 per cent). Others came from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America and Africa. 

By country, the number of travellers from Thailand was the highest.