新华社金边12月17日电，题： 柬泰签署单一签证协定以促进旅游业


Cambodia, Thailand Sign Single Visa Agreement To Promote Tourism


Phnom Penh, 17 Dec (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Thailand on Monday signed a single visa agreement which allows foreign tourists from a third country to visit the two countries with a single visa.


This agreement will promote more foreign tourists to visit both countries and make it easier to get the visa for them, Hor Nam Hong, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, told reporters after signing the agreement with his Thai counterpart Nitya Pibulsonggram.


The two kingdoms will become one destination for foreign tourists, he said, adding that the agreement will take effect as soon as possible.


"Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar will also join with us and we will discuss with them later. We want the five countries to become one destination for foreign tourists with one single visa," he said.


"After we have one single visa for the two countries, I hope it will attract more foreign tourists to visit here," Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Kong told Xinhua.


The foreign tourists also benefit from this agreement without paying the price of visa twice, he said.


Cambodia has already implemented arrival visa and e-visa for foreign tourists but they are still not familiar with the service, he added.


Tourism sector is one of the four pillars of Cambodian economic growth, including garment, construction and agriculture. This year the Cambodian government expects two million tourists visiting the kingdom.


柬泰两国将推联合旅游签证 一次签证游览两国家


新华网北京１２月１７日专电 为促进旅游业发展，柬埔寨与泰国１７日签署一项协定，规定外国游客只需办理一次签证即可游览柬泰两个国家。


法新社１７日援引柬副首相兼外交大臣贺南洪的话说，此项协定生效后，旅游者就可以在泰国或柬埔寨的大使馆申请这种特殊签证。


贺南洪说：“游客只要在一地申请一次签证，就可以畅游柬埔寨和泰国。”他还表示，今后缅甸、老挝和越南也将加入到该协定中来。


泰国外交部长尼·披汶颂甘表示，此项举措“将会使两国受益”。


旅游业是柬泰两国的支柱性产业。统计显示，２００６年，赴柬游客达１７０万人次；泰国今年接待游客将达１４８０万人次。