Laos, Thailand enhance tourism cooperation

Laos, Thailand enhance tourism cooperation

Laos and Thailand have agreed on enhancing their cooperation in the tourism sector, aiming to jointly promote the tourism potentials of the two countries and implement the connectivity plans of Asean.



Prof. DrBosengkhamVongdara and MsKobkarnWattanavrangkul shake hands after signing the MOU.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the cooperation plan was signed yesterday in Vientiane between Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Prof. DrBosengkhamVongdara and Thai Minister of Tourism and Sport, MsKobkarnWattanavrangkul.

An official from the Lao ministry's Department of International Cooperation revealed that under the MOU, the two countries will assist each other in the development of tourism products and tourism services.

They aim to connect tourism programmes through joint tourism packages and market the two countries one destination model between the two countries, as well as enhance the exchange of information in the sector.

The idea of the cooperation is to strike for the tourists who enter Laos and attract them to also visit Thailand, as well as enticing those who visit Thailand to also visit Laos, encouraging longer stays in both of the countries he said.

According to the coo peration plan, the two sides will also advertise tourism destinations, tourism products and the services of the two countries internationally, which they will do together through regional and international tourism fairs, aiming to ensure the growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in the two neighbouring countries .

The cooperation will also involve tourism management and a tourism strategic plan, while tourism businesses from the two countries will be encouraged to enhance their cooperation.

More than 2.3 million Thai people visited Laos, and around 1.5 million Lao citizens went to Thailand last year. This number of Lao people visiting Thailand was just recorded through the first Lao-Thai Friendship bridge linking Vientiane and Nongkhai, Thailand.

Our general objective is to increase tourist travel between the two countries, as well as visitors from third countries, the official said.

Thailand also proposed the enhancement of tourism links with Laos at talks between the heads of the Lao and Thai governments during an official visit of a Lao high level delegation to Thailand led by Prime Minister ThonglounSisoulith in July.

As the outcome of the talks, the two countries will work on a joint master plan on tourism to boost the number of travellers to the region.

~News courtesy of Vientiane Times~

Start collecting VAT at customs in November

Laos to start collecting VAT at customs in November

The Customs Department under Laos' Ministry of Finance will begin collecting Valued Added Tax (VAT) payments in November.

The tax will be collected at the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge between Thailand's Nong Khai province and Laos' capital Vientiane followed by the other international border crossings， Bounpaseuth Sikounlabout， acting Director General of the Customs Department was quoted by local Vientiane Times on Sunday.

Earlier， the Ministry of Finance had issued a Provision on the Levy of 10 percent VAT of Passengers' Personal Effects， which stipulates that Lao citizens or expat passengers living in Laos upon entry through border checkpoints including international airports shall pay 10 percent value VAT on their (new or used) personal effects. 

The levy of VAT is exempted for infrequent passengers who travel less than twice a month on items costing less than 50 U.S. dollars.

Frequent passengers to Laos are not exempted from VAT and will be charged accordingly. 

Passengers entering Laos shall fill in a Customs Declaration Form for Personal Effects and submit it to customs officials upon their entry into the country. 

In cases when the personal effects are new, the passenger shall attach a purchase receipt to ease and hasten the calculation of VAT.

If passengers do not have all receipts or eligible documents， or have no documents， the customs officials will have the right to evaluate items according to present circumstances to calculate VAT， reported Vientiane Times.

While the government is not expecting large sums from the VAT collections， it will help to improve revenue collection in the country and assist Laos adjust to international integration， said the report.

~News courtesy of Xinhua~