Prime Minister Hun Manet has voiced support for Thailand’s initiative, the “Six Countries, One Destination” mechanism, which is aimed at boosting regional tourism. 

Thailand and Cambodia are advancing the “Two Kingdoms, One Destination” mechanism in parallel. 

Manet’s endorsement was made during Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s two-day official visit to Cambodia, which concluded on April 24. During her visit, Paetongtarn met with Cambodia’s top leadership and had an audience with His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation regarding the outcomes of the visit stated: “The prime minister expressed support for the ‘Six Countries, One Destination’ mechanism, hoping it will enhance regional tourism and strengthen Southeast Asia as a prominent international tourism destination.”

However, there was no clarification on whether Cambodia will formally participate in the Thai initiative. 

On bilateral tourism cooperation, both prime ministers “welcomed the growing number of tourists between the two countries and encouraged the tourism ministries of both nations to continue close collaboration to promote the ‘Two Kingdoms, One Destination’ mechanism.”

In 2024, Thai tourists ranked first among international visitors to Cambodia, with over 2 million arrivals. 

In October 2024, Thailand proposed that Cambodia join the “Six Countries, One Destination” initiative, a visa-exemption policy for six regional countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and Malaysia. At the time, Cambodia did not agree to join, citing the need for further study, despite acknowledging the initiative’s potential benefits.

Tourism experts previously told The Post that participating in such initiatives is positive as long as the involved countries are strategic and adept at attracting tourists to their own destinations. Otherwise, they risk merely “riding the coattails” of stronger tourism markets, such as Thailand.