Southeast Asian countries are known to have some of the most breathtaking tourist spots in the world, which many travelers from countries far and wide are eager to visit.
Ranging from naturally formed wonders to gorgeous relics born from their cultural heritage, tourists will never run out of exciting things to marvel at whenever they pay a visit to such countries.
Apart from such amazing sights, another thing that Southeast Asian countries are known for is their friendliness to foreigners. A recent ranking by Yahoo! Finance and Insider Monkey has placed Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia among the top five friendliest countries in Asia.
While the United Arab Emirates clinched the top spot as the friendliest country in Asia, it cannot be understated that having four Southeast Asian countries be a part of the top five showcases the friendliness that each nation provides to its visitors.
A big reason why four countries from Southeast Asia are part of this list is their high visa acceptance rate. They are all part of the top 25 most welcoming countries in Asia as they allow travelers from other nations to enter with a visa on arrival or electronic travel authorization (eTA).
According to the Passport Index 2024, the Philippines took the 21st spot as they allowed travelers from 159 countries to do so, while Singapore took 17th with 164 countries, Malaysia at 4th with 195 countries, and Vietnam in joint-first with 198 countries.
The four countries are also known to be quite hospitable to foreigners coming to visit their famous tourist spots and try out their local delicacies. They are also very welcoming to expatriates living in their nations as they were also part of HSBC’s Expat Explorer list with the Philippines ranking 42nd, Malaysia ranking 25th, Vietnam ranking 19th, and Singapore ranking 9th.
The ranking by Yahoo! Finance and Insider Monkey regarding the friendliest countries in Asia was based on its own articles regarding the 30 friendliest countries in the world and the 20 most immigrant-friendly countries in the world, as well as HSBC’s Expat Explorer rankings and Passport Index’s Welcoming Countries Rank 2024.