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Published on December 13, 2007

Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram would sign the agreement with this Cambodian counterpart Hor Namhong when he makes an official visit to Phnom Penh on Monday.

The pact is a pilot project under the Ayeyawady-Chao Phya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).

Set up since 2003, ACMECS is a joint development scheme that includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

Under the initiative of "Four countries, One Destination", the ACMECS Single Visa pact is aimed at facilitating tourism in the region.

Foreign ministers of the four countries agreed in Siem Reap in August 2005 to allow Thailand and Cambodia to implement the scheme first

and the remaining members might join later if it proves successful.

Visitors could apply for an entry visa at the embassies of either Thailand or Cambodia for both countries, said the ministry's spokesman Tharit Charungvat. The arrangement would benefit tourism and visitors would only need one visa for both Thailand and Cambodia, which have many different attractions, he said.

However, the pact would not come into force until the Interior Ministry and concerned agencies issued related regulations, Tharit said. It was not know when the regulations would be ready.

 Supalak G Khundee

 The Nation