Thailand may seek another panda from China

BANGKOK - Thailand's Khon Kaen province will request the government to borrow another giant panda from China, the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday.

Somsak Suwansudjarit, governor of Khon Kaen, located in northeastern Thailand bordering Laos, said the public and private sectors in the province had decided to request the government to borrow another panda as a "goodwill ambassador."

The panda will become a star at the local Khao Suan Kwang Zoo, attracting more visitors and boosting tourism revenue, he said.

There are currently two pandas living in Thailand, "Lin hui" and "Chuang Chuang," a couple on a 10-year loan from China to the Chiang Mai zoo since 2003. They gave birth to a female cub in 2009, which was later named "Lin Bing" by its fans.

The first giant panda born in Thailand, Lin Bing has become one of the most popular animals in the country, creating a lasting and prevalent "panda mania" as hundreds of thousands of fans flock to Chiang Mai to see her. In 2012, the Chiang Mai zoo received more than 1.4 million visitors, compared with 800,000 before Lin Bing was born.

In September, Lin Bing was sent back to China's Sichuan to find a mate, with whom she will return to Thailand to stay for another 15 years.