Manila  - The Philippines and Thailand will push for the adoption of a single visa for all member-countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to boost tourism in the region, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Friday.

Arroyo and visiting Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej discussed the need to promote tourism in ASEAN during their dinner meeting on Thursday.

"Thailand is the acknowledged leader in tourism in our region," Arroyo said. "And I am glad that the prime minister thinks it is a wise idea to share Thailand's market with the rest of ASEAN."

Arroyo said the Philippines and Thailand would jointly push for the adoption of a common visas for all 10 member countries when Bangkok assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in July.

"I hope that we will be having more package tours that include each other and also work during the leadership of Thailand of the ASEAN to have a common visa for all the 10 countries," she added.

Aside from the Philippines and Thailand, other ASEAN members are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma).

In 2007, nearly 30 million non-ASEAN tourists visited the 10 countries in the region, with Malaysia and Thailand as the top destinations, according to preliminary data from the group's secretariat.

ASEAN nationals who visited neighbours reached more than 24 million last year. (dpa)