SINGLE VISA BENEFITS ASEAN

BY

PNOTPORN JANTARAKOLICA

(Milly) G.1109
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

Single Visa Benefits ASEAN

Introduction

ASEAN emerged a long time ago, however, many people are not aware of this. ASEAN

or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is the cooperation between 10 member states;

Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei, and

Philippines. They all have the same goal which is to boost economic growth and social

progress. One of the highlights that ASEAN has developed is called the single visa. This

allows people from ASEAN to travel between member countries without a visa while other

countries are able to travel to ASEAN countries with just one visa. The plus three of ASEAN

countries which are Japan, China, and South Korea are also included. By this, it helps attract

more tourists, gain more investment, and increase job opportunities. ASEAN has become one

of the largest economies in the world and it continues to grow. In the future, the single visa

will have a huge impact towards the world and ASEAN would become more powerful.

Therefore, implementing single visa in ASEAN gain more benefits than disadvantages.

Single Visa Benefits Tourism

Tourists are more likely to travel to ASEAN countries using the single visa. Single visa

makes it more convenient to travel and tourists think that it is worth buying a visa that could

take you to ten countries rather than a country. According to World Tourism Organization

(UNWTO) and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), there are various places to travel

to, however, there are many factors that makes tourists attracted to ASEAN countries (The

Impact of Visa Facilitation in ASEAN Member States, 2014). Each ASEAN countries are

diverse and there are many places that tourists could explore. Suppose there is no single visa,

tourists would not be willing to go to 10 embassies to gain all of the visa to explore the

culture of these countries since it is a waste of time. An example of this is how visa affects

the decision of a particular person traveling to other countries. Hence, Ei Ei Thu (2016) from

Myanmar Times have stated in a newspaper, in order to travel to a neighbor country, having

1
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

to get a visa might change someones mind not to travel there. Besides people from other

countries, people within ASEAN countries are able to travel to one another easily too. Since

ASEAN members states citizens do not have to spend money on visa at all, they are more

likely to visit one another. Currently, there are evidences that single visa has actually

improved tourism in ASEAN. Tiffany Misrahi (n.d.), a writer in Travel & Tourism Industries

and World Economic Forum, stated that there has been goals and observations in the amount

of tourists traveling to ASEAN countries. ASEAN has been predicted to increase its target of

destination by about 10.4% on average. By improving the visa, it has an ambition to gain 6 to

10 million foreigners within 2016 which is 3 to 5.1 percent above the assumption that has

been made before. People believe that by creating single visa, it would increase tourism by a

high percentage and that it would increase at a higher rate every year. Single visa shows an

effortless pathway to travel to ASEAN countries. People are able to explore variety of

cultures with none or just a single visa. Therefore, single visa will definitely attract more

tourists gaining advantages for ASEAN countries.

Single Visa Benefits Investment

The single visa helps make the single market in ASEAN attract more people to invest in

ASEAN. Since the investors are able to target diverse and numerous amount of customers,

they are more likely to invest in ASEAN comparing to other countries. Noel Quinn (2013),

from South China Morning Post, has stated that besides the people in ASEAN itself, there are

massive amount of tourists entering it. By having the single visa, it eliminates trade barriers

and makes it easier for investors to enter ASEAN since each country are spending more on

routes which makes it easier to travel to. Investors are able to enter ASEAN countries with

just a railroad instead of changing trucks multiple times. Single visa allows ASEAN to spend

money on improving railroads and building more of them in order to help with trade. There

has been evidence from ASEAN Investment Report 2015 that ASEAN investment has

2
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

improved throughout these past years (ASEAN Investment Report 2015 Infrastructure

Investment and Connectivity, 2015). Intra- ASEAN investment has increased by 26% from

19.4 to 24.4 dollars during 2013 to 2014. ASEAN has been a major source of FDI since the

FDI rises by 19%. Since the ASEAN open up for a big opportunity for investment overseas,

investors are more likely to invest. A Southeast Asias Business News and Sites and ASEAN

Briefing Business Intelligence from Dezan Shira & Associates has stated that ASEAN is

developing a single visa which is for business people only (ASEAN to Launch Business

Traveler Card By 2015, 2013). They are considering about making special immigrant lanes

for investors which is called the ASEAN Business Travel Card. This card allows business

travelers to stay in ASEAN countries for two to four weeks temporary visa. This allows a

great opportunity for business investor to travel to invest in ASEAN countries due to its

convenience. Single visa helps create an efficient pathway for investors to travel and invest in

ASEAN. Since they have plans to improve railroads and trade barriers is eliminated, single

visa would benefit the investors making them invest more in ASEAN.

Single Visa Benefits Labors

Some people believe that single visa would cause conflicts in terms of labors. However,

this is wrong because free flow of labors would gain various advantages towards ASEAN

member states. The Diplomat has published news about how single visa could response to

labors in a bad way (Hunt, 2014). Many people believe that by implementing the free flow of

skilled labors, it would become a big challenge for many countries. Under-qualified laborers

could be out of work since they might have poor working skills and foreign language

difficulty. There would also be lack in number of jobs, but high competitions for jobs at the

same time. By having the single visa, it enhances the chance that people from other ASEAN

countries are going to steal jobs from the citizens in that country. Therefore, this could cause

lots of people to lose their jobs. On the contrary, a journal from Migration Policy Institute has

3
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

stated the benefits of single visa towards labors (Sugiyarto & Mendoza, 2014). Many people

have misunderstood single visa policy as free flow of labors. Although it is freer flow of

skilled labors. By this, they allow work permits for laborers, but it does not mean that anyone

could enter any country and go to work. It has stated that skilled labors would be able to enter

each country and this will not cause further competition. In order to enter other country,

individuals would have to gain license which they would have to take tests. Single visa

allows opportunity for best or skilled labors to be able to work in other countries and the

employer to hire them at cheaper rates. Besides, they do not accept all jobs, but they only

accept professional jobs such as doctors and engineers. Thus, the idealistic in which single

visa will cause conflicts for laborers is completely mistaken. Not only this, an ASEAN

website has stated that by having free movement of labors, this would increase the quality of

laborers in each country (Preferred Workforce, n.d.). The false rumors that had been widely

spread is that the unqualified labors will be out of jobs. However, there is another point of

view that they havent considered. It is an opportunity for these people to improve

themselves. By having an environment in which there are skilled labors, people whom are not

as good may take this chance as an opportunity to improve themselves. Such as boosting their

English skills. By having the single visa, it does not decrease the rate of people being hired,

but it forces the people in these countries to become better. Skilled labors are able to travel

easily with work permit due to single visa. Due to the fact that people misunderstood the way

single visa works toward laborers, they think it is bad. Although this is not true at all because

single visa gives opportunity for skilled laborers to work at other countries and furthermore

increase the qualities of workers. Single visa allows freer flow of laborers and help develop

ASEAN countries in a higher level.

Conclusion

4
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

Single visa benefits ASEAN in various ways. Organizations have stated that by

implementing single visa, it attracts more tourists making them travel to ASEAN countries.

ASEAN Investment Reports have shown evidence of single visa help increasing investments

since the investors gain numerous targets with an efficient way of entering these countries. A

journal from Migration Policy Institute has explained that skilled laborers would have the

opportunity to work at other countries by using the single visa as a medium which would

improve the qualities of laborers. Overall, single visa benefit ASEAN countries as a whole. It

boosts global economy affecting various of countries. Therefore, single visa would become a

big factor changing the worlds economy.

5
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

References

ASEAN Investment Report 2015 Infrastructure Investment and Connectivity (2015). Jakarta:

ASEAN Secretariat

ASEAN to Launch Business Traveler Card By 2015 (2013). Retrieved February 11, 2017

from http://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/2013/05/03/asean-to-launch-business-

traveler-card-by-2015.html

Hunt, L. (2014). ASEAN Economic Community: What Could Go Wrong? Retrieved February

15, 2017 from http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/asean-economic-community-what-

could-go-wrong/

Misrahi, T. (n.d.). ASEAN may have 10 nations but it should only have one visa. Retrieved

January 20, 2017 from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/asean-one-visa-

travel-destination/

Preferred Workforce (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2017 from

http://investasean.asean.org/index.php/page/view/reasons-for-

investing/view/671/newsid/737/preferred-workforce.html

Quinn, N. (2013). 600 million reasons to invest in Asean. Retrieved February 10, 2017 from

http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1324501/600-million-reasons-

invest-asean

Sugiyarto, G., & Mendoza, D. (2014). A Freer Flow Skilled Labour within ASEAN:

Aspirations, Opportunities, and Challenges in 2015 and Beyond. Retrieved February

20, 2017 from http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/freer-flow-skilled-labour-

within-asean-aspirations-opportunities-and-challenges-2015

The Impact of Visa Facilitation in ASEAN Member States (2014). Madrid: UNWTO

6
Single Visa Benefits ASEAN Jantarakolica Pnotporn (Milly) G.1109

Thu, E. (2016). Five countries discuss single-visa scheme. Retrieved January 20, 2017 from

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/20999-five-countries-discuss-

single-visa-scheme.html