Two pandas to arrive from China by 2027

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment expects to sign an agreement next year on the transfer of two pandas from China, according to permanent secretary Jatuporn Buruspat.
The ministry’s efforts, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have been making steady progress, he said on Saturday in an update on the progress of negotiations with Chinese authorities.
Further discussions would ensure the provision of proper habitats and exhibition areas for the pandas, meeting Chinese requirements, he said.
The ministry plans to construct a new living area at the Chiang Mai Zoo for the pandas, larger than the previous 6,250-square-metre air-conditioned enclosure. It will be equipped with high-standard facilities to meet Chinese standards for animal well-being.
Construction details will be submitted to the Chinese authorities for review, said Mr Jatuporn, adding that the two pandas were expected to arrive at the zoo by 2027.
“We did an excellent job caring for Xuang Xuang and Lin Hui, who successfully produced offspring, Lin Bing,” he said.
“The two new pandas will serve as goodwill ambassadors to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Thai-Chinese relations.”
In 2003, China agreed to loan Xuang Xuang and Lin Hui to Thailand to be housed at Chiang Mai Zoo.
The pair attracted over seven million visitors to the zoo and produced a female cub, Lin Bing, in 2009.
Xuang Xuang died in 2019 at the age of 19, and Lin Hui died in 2023 at 21, both at the Chiang Mai Zoo.
Lin Bing was returned to the Giant Panda Research and Conservation Centre in Chengdu, China, in 2013 as part of a mutual agreement. She is now reported to be the mother of seven.