The bodies of three air force officers killed in a helicopter crash in a deep valley adjoining Chanthaburi and Rayong provinces are expected to arrive in Bangkok late on Tuesday night as the Royal Thai Airforce plans to promote them posthumously.
Media reports said the bodies of Sqn Ldr Pasith Techasen, the pilot, Capt Alongkorn Chankrachang, the co-pilot, and Sgt Maj Visut Puttharaksa, the mechanic, arrived by ambulance at the Royal Thai Navy-operated U-Tapao airport in Rayong on Tuesday night. They were received by relatives, senior air force officers and an honour guard of soldiers.
The bodies will be flown to Wing 6 at the Don Mueang air force base in Bangkok and taken to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital for autopsies before being released to relatives for religious rites.
Air Vice Marshal Pongsak Semachai, the air force spokesman, said Sqn Ldr Pasith would be promoted to Air Marshal while Capt Alongkorn would be given the rank of Group Captain and Sgt Maj Visut given the rank of Air Vice Marshal, respectively.
Their families will receive 3.9 million baht, 2.5 million and 2.7 million respectively in compensation for officers killed on duty, AVM Pongsak said.
The air force will seek royal decorations for the officers’ service.
The UH-1H helicopter went missing on Saturday afternoon over the Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park after delivering supplies from Don Mueang airport in Bangkok to a radar station on Khao Chamao mountain.
The search team found the dead crew members at 10.23am on Tuesday, about 500m northwest of the radar station.