VietNamNet Bridge - National carrier Vietnam Airlines said its daily Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok service will become twice daily starting December 1 as the carrier plans for more passengers from Thailand next year.

Do Khoi Nguyen, Vietnam Airlines representative in Bangkok, told Thanh Nien that the new schedule, with one flight in the morning and the other in late afternoon, would be good for the tourist market.

The airline wants to prepare for more Thai tourists next year, when Vietnam celebrates Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary and the 2010 Hue Festival, he said.

Thailand is one of Vietnam’s key tourism markets. According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, more than 125,118 Thai tourists visited the country in the first ten months this year, down 18.8 percent from the same period last year.

The new service is part of a plan implemented in late October to provide more flights on key international and domestic routes. The carrier’s passenger numbers this year are expected to increase 4 percent to 9 million.

VietNamNet/Thanh Nien

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