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Five caravan groups from Thailand will visit central Vietnam’s tourist attractions and World Heritage sites in April and May after a three-year blockade on proposed road trips through Indochina.
The first caravan group – tourists driving their own cars in a motorcade with the same itinerary – will enter Vietnam in April 12, said officials at a meeting, held by the Vietnam National Administration for Tourism and Ministry of Transport and Communications in Hanoi on Tuesday.
This first group of 60 Thai tourists will ride in 21 cars, and will pass through the Lao Bao Border Gate to central Quang Tri province before visiting the ancient capital city of Hue, Lang Co town, Danang city and ancient Hoi An town as well as the Champ tower complex of My Son in Quang Nam province.
The program is scheduled to last for five days, announced Tan Hong Tourism Company, the provider of land services for the group.
Pilot basis
It would be the first time in the past three years this type of tourism is possible. Thailand, Laos and Vietnam have different driving rules, including the side of the driver in vehicles. While Thai law allows cars with right-hand steering wheels, Vietnamese law only allows cars with left-hand steering wheels to enter the country.
Caravan travel came to a halt as the countries failed to reach a compromise, until Vietnam recently agreed to let caravan traveling resume.
The agreement is only on a pilot basis, said tourism officials at the meeting.
However, plans for four more caravans to come have already been in place, said Tan Hong and Huong Giang Companies.
These companies are to handle four other groups which are scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on April 13, 14 and 29 and May 19. The group arriving on May 19 will take a trip through the Hai Van tunnel on the occasion of the tunnel’s inauguration.
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