Thai, Lao officials agree to ease immigration regulations

The Thai and Lao governments will soon abolish stricter immigration regulations that require lengthy registration and a Bt40 fee for each person's entry and departure, following huge profit slumps in cross-border trade.

Friday's meeting between Ubon Ratchathani officials and their Lao counterparts in Wang Tao was prompted by extensive peaceful protests by Thai and Lao vendors, who said the fee and registration turned away tourists.

The vendors proposed abolishing the fee, ending mandatory registration for those not travelling beyond a 200-metre leniency zone and cutting paperwork to minimal personal identification and travel documents.

The new regulations, which took effect on March 15, require two types of border passes and passports for different types of travellers and various periods of stay to and from Thailand and Laos.

Deputy provincial governor Senee Jitkasem said Lao authorities overseeing the Wang Tao administration had agreed with Ubon Ratchathani authorities' decision to abolish the regulations, pending official approval from the Lao government.

The Nation