Snow forecast for Chiang Mai

Thailand's Zoological Park Organisation gave a greenlight to construct an artificial snow building for a pair of pandas, ambassadors of friendship from China, now living at the Chiang Mai Zoo.

The planned artificial snow habitat is designed to encourage the pandas to produce baby pandas.

Zoo director Thanapat Pongphamorn said that the planned structure was proposed by the zoo to make a new home for Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui similar to their natural habitat in China.

The 50-million-baht project will support natural mating conditions for the panda couple. It is expected to begin next year and to be completed in 2009.

The new building will extend up to two rai (1 acre = 2.5 rai) from their existing enclosure. When the snow environment building is finished, the two pandas will switch to stay there for a period of time, depending on the seasons in China, their country of origin.

Zoo visitors will be allowed to enter the snow building to touch and play with the artificial snow. - (TNA)

Wow! 50 million baht. I wonder how them panda's are going to pay for it. And since they are from China, how do they get around the rules regarding property ownership? I wonder what kind of visa they got.

Pandas get all the breaks.

Too Late , my sources (actually the front-page of the Chiang Mai Mail) tell me that Mrs Panda is already 'dans le club de pudding' , and twins are on the way. Lucky they held that panda-wedding event recently !

No doubt this will boost tourist-visitor numbers past the 5 million mark.

And we'll see even more disposable inflatable panda-style objects-of-desire on-sale in the Night Bazaar.

Wonder how much the farang-prices, to view the happy couple, will rise, once the baby pandas arrive ? Necessary to pay for their extra food, naturally.

Someone could really clean-up here, and I don't mean the man, who cleans their cage out.

I think the 50 Mil is earmarked to pay the electric bill for refrigerating 2.5 Rai !

Ive seen pandas before, they are so <deleted> boring.

Rising prices for farangs? no way!

Wonder how much the farang-prices, to view the happy couple, will rise, once the baby pandas arrive ? Necessary to pay for their extra food, naturally.

Someone could really clean-up here, and I don't mean the man, who cleans their cage out.