Road trip to Thailand growing trend

CNS)—Traffic conditions along the Kunming-Bangkok Highway (KBH) are becoming smoother and an increasing number of Chinese are opting to take their private cars on road trips to neighboring Thailand.

Vichit Chitvimarn, General-council of the Royal Thai Consulate in Kunming said on March 11 that the Thai government will work with China to improve facilities of the KBH even further, aiming to shape a golden passageway for vacationing drivers.

The KBH was opened in December 2008. It starts at the provincial capital of Yunnan province and ends at Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The highway crosses China, Laos and Thailand, traversing jungle, highlands, forests, villages and cities and unfolding a simply gorgeous landscape favored by the growing fan base of the classic road trip holiday.

"It is an ideal choice to experience quiet little cities such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in North Thailand, far from the dust," said Su Dongcheng, director of Kunming Office of Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Vichit Chitvimarn suggested both countries cooperate to offer more convenient customs services to tourists, explore more tourism destinations and improve traffic signage in line with international standards. "I hope Yunnan will promote road trips to visitors from other provinces in China," he added.