BANGKOK: Thailand celebrated the third birthday of panda Lin Ping on Monday at the Chiang Mai Zoo. The Thai News Agency reported that the Chinese consul-general to Chiang Mai Zhang Wei Xai and zoo director Thanapat Pongpamorn “led international visitors in celebrating the occasion for the 108-kg panda with a special frozen fruits birthday cake.” The Chinese official thanked the zoo authorities for taking care of the panda, which was a gift from Beijing, whose parents Xuang Xuang and Lin Hui are also in the zoo's keeping. Lin Ping has reportedly become a favorite among visitors to the zoo. “The panda family is due to remain in Thailand until 2013 but the government is seeking an extension for another 10 years for Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang and another three years for Lin Ping,” the report suggested. A Thai delegation is scheduled to visit China next month to conduct talks on the issue in an effort to see their stay extended.
