Thailand urged to stop unfriendly acts to Vietnamese tourists
The Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department has asked Thailand to stop unfriendly acts made by officials towards Vietnamese citizens, who are being forced to prove their financial means before entering the country.
As part of a crackdown on illegal entry and residency, Thailand has forcefully demanded tourists from some countries, including Vietnam, to present round-trip air tickets, hotel reservation papers and at least US$700 in cash at its border entry gate.
In a diplomatic note sent to the Thai embassy in Hanoi on May 7, the department denounced the new regulation as inappropriate to the cooperative spirit within ASEAN and the traditional friendship between the two governments and people.
Thailand failed to inform Vietnam of the rule, it said, adding that the country is the only ASEAN member nation subject to the regulation.
It also asked Thailand to facilitate travel between the two people.
On May 8, head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Manh Cuong sent letters to the Thailand Authority of Tourism (TAT) Office in Vietnam and the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports, asking for the abolition of such an irrational regulation.