Thai PM observes Japan's bullet train in Kyushu

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday flew from Tokyo to Kyushu Island to learn about the operations of Shinkansen bullet trains before wrapping up her four-day visit to Japan.

Yingluck attended a lecture on high-speed trains at Hakata Station in Fukuoka and then rode roundtrip on two types of bullet train operated by Kyushu Railway Co., known as JR Kyushu -- the N700 Series Shinkansen and the New 800 Series Shinkansen -- between Hakata and Kumamoto stations.

She was accompanied by JR Kyushu Chairman Susumu Ishihara, who later told reporters that Yingluck posed many technical questions to him and also showed interest in train design.
Thailand has enlisted Japan to conduct a preliminary feasibility study on high-speed rail links on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Bangkok-Rayong routes in the country.

At Kumamoto Station, Yingluck was welcomed by Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima.

She inspected a "One Town, One Product" project, part of an initiative to revitalize rural areas and help small businesses through development of local specialized products. The movement originated in Kyushu and has been emulated in Thailand among other countries.

Yingluck visited Japan to attend the Mekong-Japan Summit that was held in Tokyo on Saturday.