MANILA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has urged southeast Asia nations to adopt a common visa to boost tourism in the region, local TV network GMA News reported Friday.

    Arroyo bared the initiative to visiting Thai Premier Samak Sundaravej during their discussion on the promotion of tourism among the ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.

    The report said the Philippines and Thailand would jointly push for the adoption of a common visa in ASEAN region when Thailand assumes the ASEAN chairmanship in July.

    The move is expected to allow foreign tourists to enter and visit ASEAN countries more easily, streamlining tourism to the region.

    Arroyo said Thailand is the acknowledged leader in tourism in the region and with the adoption of a common visa, tourists who visit Thailand can also visit one or the other of these countries in ASEAN in a package tour.

    Tourist arrivals in the Philippines breached the 3 million mark in 2007, the highest in years, while tourism spending grew by almost 41 percent last year, the government says.