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It Just Got Insanely Cheap to Travel Around Southeast Asia

Insider Guides
by Matt Hershberger Feb 27, 2015

SOUTHEAST ASIA IS ONE OF the best regions in the world to travel in, and it’s never been particularly expensive to get around. Now it’s almost absurdly cheap. AirAsia, a Malaysian budget airline, just recently started offering the Asean Pass, a 30-day plane pass that allows you to visit 10 countries… for only $160.

The ten countries are the members of the ASEAN political and economic alliance. It includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The way the pass works is this: for $160, you get 10 credits over the course of 30 days. Any flight that’s under two hours will only cost you one credit. Any flight that’s more than two hours will cost you three. You can also get a 60 day, 20 credit pass for $290, and you can buy up to five a person, if you want to stockpile for later Asia trips.

You would, incidentally, have to pay for the flight to actually get to Southeast Asia in the first place if you aren’t already in the region, and the credits don’t count local airport fees — but the deal is still incredibly good for budget travelers.

“The pass allows us to bridge communities and attract more foreign tourists to the region,” AirAsia CEO said in a press release. “It’s the perfect instrument to promote Asean integration.”

If only the rest of the world was this focused on integration. You can book a pass here.

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