The Olympic torch relay in Bangkok, the 12th leg of the Olympic Flame's global tour, kicked off at 3:20 p.m. (0820GMT) Saturday in China Town area, after a launching ceremony at the ceremonial gateway "Chinese Gate".

The first torchbearer Anant Siripasraporn (C), Deputy Permanent Secretary for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, runs with the torch in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, on April 19, 2008. Bangkok is the 12th stop of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay outside the Chinese mainland.

After kindling the Olympic torch with the Olympic Flame stored in a special lantern which have traveled 11 cities around the globe, Jiang Xiaoyu, vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG) handed the torch to Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Zhang Jiuhuan, who passed on to Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin.

Aprirak then handed the torch to the first torchbearer, Anant Siripasraporn, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), who started running to kick off the first ever Olympic torch relay in his home city, amid a cheering crowd and followers.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, in his capacity as president of the Bangkok Olympic Torch Relay 2008 Organizing Committee, said in a speech ahead of the relay, "We are very happy that Bangkok is one of the cities in the global tour of the Beijing Olympic Torch. Thailand and China has a friendship for centuries. The two countries have been more closely related in the new era. Thailand would like to offer its staunchest support and most sincere blessings for Beijing's hosting the 2008 Olympics.

Aprirak said he was very excited as a representative of Bangkok people that the Olympic torch relay was taking place here. He wished both the Bangkok torch relay and the Beijing Olympics a big success.

This is the first time the Olympic torch relay is run on the soil of Thailand. Bangkok is the 12th leg of the global tour of the Beijing Olympic Flame.

Starting by Anant, 80 torchbearers, selected from distinguished representatives from different walks of life including government officials, athletes, company executives, artists, students, educators, social workers and Thai-Chinese community leaders, will run through a 10.4 kilometers route in Bangkok that covers the city's most famous landmarks and historical sites.

Banners and billboards with the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay slogan "Light the Passion, Share the Dream" and logos dotted the sides along the route.

Thousands of people had swammed into the China Town area, the launching point, and other slots along the relay route to witness the event.

The torch relay is expected to last for three hours before it ends at the King Rama V Monument at the Royal Plaza, where a celebration ceremony will be held.