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THE NATION: Thais, Burmese to talk



Business 

      Thais, Burmese to talk
      tourism

      PM'S Office Minister Jurin Laksanavisit
      plans to hold talks with senior Burmese
      officials on tourism cooperation between
      the two countries at the end of the month. 

      The talks will aim at loosening, harmonising
      and boosting the tourism industry under the
      Golden Quadrangle Economic Cooperation
      plan, whose members are Burma, Thailand,
      south China and Laos. 

      Thailand and Burma signed an agreement
      on academic cooperation in 1994 to
      facilitate tourism information. It is expected
      that Thailand would assist Burma on
      training and airport development. 

      Burma is also a member of the Mekong
      Subregion Economic Cooperation, which
      comprises of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos,
      Vietnam and China. The two cooperations
      will help Thailand become a gateway to
      neighbouring countries. 

      Apart from the cooperation plans between
      the two countries, Thailand also wants to
      create a seamless travel package among
      the nine Asean nations. 

      Earlier this month Jurin approached the
      Cambodian secretary of state for tourism
      with proposals to facilitate travel by land, air
      and sea between the two countries. 

      For land travel Thailand had proposed to
      issue visas at Poi Pet for both Thai and
      foreign visitors, while an airlink would be
      made between Ubon Rachathani and Siem
      Reap. 

      The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
      has also decided to relax immigration
      regulations for Chinese visitors entering the
      country through Chiang Rai. 

      Jurin added that the TAT had sought
      government approval for the issue of border
      passes instead of visas for Chinese visitors
      entering the country through the north but
      the National Security Council had not
      approved it. 

      He also said that the TAT had asked the
      Foreign Ministry to shorten the process of
      visa issuance to one day. It now takes from
      three to five days. 

      The Nation