Night Safari, Cable Car, Floral Festival To Open

[george]

Night Safari, cable car, floral festival for Chiang Mai

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's first 'Night Safari' open zoo in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's nothern home town of Chiang Mai will open on 10 November to coincide with the traditional Loy Krathong candle lighting festival, followed by construction of a cable car for Doi Suthep next year.

The beauty of Mr. Thaksin's hometown will be highlighted further in a festive, dubbed "Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006", International Horticultural Exposition honouring His Majesty the King, to be held on 1 November, 2006 through 31 January, 2007.

Speaking during his weekly radio address Saturday morning, Mr. Thaksin said he wanted to attract foreign tourists to visit this country after seeing the opening of Disneyland in Hong Kong.

He said his government had also planned to develop Chiang Mai to make it an aviation hub in the Mekong Sub-region, as it takes about one hour to fly from there to countries in the region.

Similar development plans would be launched in other provinces in the future, he added.

--TNA 2005-08-27