Visa Free Access to Cambodia and 3 of its neighbouring countries.

The economic growth of ASEAN has been soaring in recent years as the global tourism flow rises. Because the member countries of the community are known for being some of the most attractive tourist destinations, it is essential to get a firm grasp on who can enter Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore in respect of Cambodia’s visa-exemption policies.

To commence, most foreigners who wish to enter Cambodian territory as tourists are required to get some kinds of visa which include e-Visa, Visa on Arrival or pre-departure governmental approval. Nonetheless, as a member of ASEAN, in parts of the agreement, The Kingdom of Wonder allows all other members of the community to have visa-free access with a variable length of stay according to their bilateral agreements. This equates to a total of 9 visa-exempt countries to Cambodia who are all ASEAN countries (excluding Cambodia itself, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).

Followed by Cambodia, the Eastern neighbour of the country - Vietnam - welcomes 24 countries with their visa exemption policies. Just like Cambodia, Vietnam permits citizens of all the 9 ASEAN members to travel into their boundary as well as other 15 countries altogether from Europe, East Asia, South America, and a country from the Middle East (Kyrgyzstan). Regardless of the strict policy, Vietnam authorises any tourists who wish to visit Phu Quoc Island through their international gate without any restrictions i.e visa-free, and stay there for less than 15 days.

Glance over the western border of Cambodia, Thailand serves their hospitality under the Visa Exemption Rule to 64 countries of whom include 9 ASEAN countries, 26 Schengen countries, and many more around the world. Thanks to its visa-free policy, The Land of Smile has been one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations, greeting over 20 million tourists a year, and making it the world’s most visited city in 2018 surpassed London, England (19.8 million visitors).

The economic powerhouse of ASEAN, Singapore, who ranks the 5th most visited city in the world (13.9 million tourists in 2018), welcomes an astounding 199 passports visa-free with exceptions to 36 countries under assessment level 1 and level 2 by the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which encompass, but not limited to, India, China, North Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Alongside being one of the most accessible countries, Singaporean passport ranks the highest in The Henley Report as the most powerful passport in the world neck and neck with Japan, allowing it to enter 189 destinations with No Visa Required, Visa on Arrival or eTA.

In essence, it is worth mentioning that a country’s openness to the world and its passport strength is partially perceived according to its international ties and reputations. As reported by Euan McKirdy and Maureen O'Hare, CNN (2nd July 2019), Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the creator of the passport index concept, says in the release: "With a few notable exceptions, the latest rankings from the Henley Passport Index show that countries around the world increasingly view visa-openness as crucial to economic and social progress."