“The Krungsri Ayutthaya Kizuna Ekiden 2018 will build on the success of the first year and will help strengthen the bond between Thailand and Japan,” says Santi Chudintra, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. “It will also showcase the beautiful scenery and culture of Ayutthaya, a Unesco World Heritage site.”Ekiden has been popular in Japan since its debut in 1917. The inaugural Ayutthaya Kizuna Ekiden was part of 130thanniversary celebrations of ThaiJapanese diplomatic relations and drew 400 teams – a total of 1,600 runners, 60 per cent of them Thais. The 2018 will have another 400 fourmember teams, each participant ready to tackle a 3.4kilometre segment of the 13.6kilometre course. Through March 24, there will be 194 flights per week between the two countries’ major cities.

Source: The Nation Bangkok January 15, 2018 18:11 UTC