Lin Ping's a winner!

Lin Ping, the most popular panda in Thailand, has won a gold prize in the Giant Panda Zoo Awards 2012, beating out other pandas living outside China.

GiantPandaZoo.com conducted an online vote last month, inviting panda fans and experts from around the world to vote for their favourite pandas, panda-related people and zoos.

About 28,000 voters were received in the ten categories including favourite panda in China, favourite returned panda, panda personality of 2012, panda keeper of the year, favourite panda enclosure, favourite panda charity and panda campaign of the year. Each category award give the winners a gold, bronze and silver prize.

Sunchai Jullamon, director of Chiang Mai Zoo, presided over a parade to celebrate Lin Ping's prize. Lin Ping was also given a model of a gold medal model to mark her win.

Visitors to the zoo will have opportunity to pose for pictures with the giant certificate of Lin Ping's prize, he said.