Olympic flame arrives in Bangkok

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Source: CCTV.com | 04-18-2008 08:34

The Beijing Olympic flame has arrived in Bangkok. Thailand's National Olympic Committee says the capital is ready to welcome the torch and to make the relay on Thai soil a success.

Jiang Xiaoyu (C), executive vice president of the Beijing  Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG),  displays the lantern which holds the Olympic flame as he  walks out of the plane at an airport in Bangkok, capital  of Thailand, April 18, 2008. Bangkok is the 12th leg of  the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay global tour  outside the Chinese mainland.(Xinhua/Gong Lei)

This is the 12th leg of the flame's global tour after finishing the last leg in the Indian capital New Delhi.

Starting Saturday afternoon 80 torchbearers, including government officials, athletes, company executives, artists, students and Thai-Chinese community leaders will run the 10.4-kilometer-long route through Bangkok. The route covers the city's most renown landmarks and historical sites.

Thousands of spectators are expected to swarm into Bangkok's Chinatown, the starting point of the torch relay. Authorities say helicopters and more than 1,000 police will be deployed to keep order along the route.

Staff of Chinese embassy to Thailand greet the Olympic flame  upon its arrival at an airport in Bangkok, capital of Thailand,  April 18, 2008. Bangkok is the 12th leg of the 2008 Beijing  Olympic Games torch relay global tour outside the Chinese  mainland.(Xinhua/Gong Lei)

At the press conference, the NOCT President said welcoming the Olympic torch as a symbol of the Olympic spirit is a remarkable event for the country. He says government departments and the Thai-Chinese communities have worked together to ensure all preparations for the torch relay have been finalized.

The Thai Royal family, government and people all agree that Thailand should be a good host for the Olympic torch relay.

Thai police have called on all Thais to help ensure a smooth and safe Olympic torch relay in Bangkok. They've threatened to expel any foreign groups attempting to sabotage the event.