First right-handed wheel cars from Thailand will arrive in Vietnam late this month, following a recent agreement reached by the two countries, according to local newspaper Youth on Monday.

Cars carrying Thai tourists are permitted to enter Vietnam's 7central localities such as Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam and Nghe An viathe Lao Bao border gate in Quang Tri province or the Cau Treo border gate in Ha Tinh province, while Vietnamese people can visit tourism sites in Thailand by left-handed wheel cars.

The free movement of tourist cars in parts of Vietnam and Thailand will help boost tourism sectors of the two countries, since it takes only 6 hours for Thai tourists to travel from Thailand's northeastern region to Vietnam's central beaches, the report said.

Over 20,900 Thai visitors came to Vietnam in the first 4 months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 29.9 percent, according to the Vietnam's National Administration of Tourism.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2005)