Visa-free travel in Southeast Asia: a magnet for tourists – and trouble

“I only had to show my passport when crossing the border,” the young university graduate told This Week in Asia, describing her smooth four-day trip with a friend.

Since February, Chinese travelers have had visa-free access to Singapore. In return, Singaporeans receive a 30-day pass for trips to China. This arrangement gives them the same travel privileges as citizens of the US, UK and other ASEAN member states.

Visa-free travel has sparked a wave of exploration across Southeast Asia as tourism proves essential to economies still recovering from the pandemic, prompting many governments to ease long-standing immigration restrictions.