A caravan group of 10 vehicles from Thailand entered through the Lao Bao border gate in central Quang Tri Province on April 11, beginning a five-day tour of the central region of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The tourists visited various hotspots, including Perfume River, the former imperial city of Hue and Lang Co beach, one of the most beautiful in the region.

The tour is the first of the Thai tourist season. Such trips have become increasingly popular with foreign tourists since they began three years ago. Over 3,000 caravan tours, mostly from Southeast Asia, have visited Vietnam.

With the country eager to expand the tourist market, a change in the law four years ago, overturning a ban on left-hand drive vehicles, has made it easier and cheaper for such tours from neighboring countries that drive on the right.

Regional left-hand drive neighbors include Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.