National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said it plans to double its daily Ho Chi Minh City to -Bangkok service from December 1st 2009.

The airline anticipates demand to rise in Thailand during 2010 when Viet Nam celebrates Ha Noi’s 1,000th anniversary and the 2010 Hue Festival. Thailand is one of Viet Nam’s key tourism markets though 2009 was a poor year. According to the Viet Nam National Tourism Administration, more than 125,118 Thai tourists visited the country in the first 10 months this year, down 18.8 percent from the same period last year.