Thai army to buy helicopters, tanks from Russia, China

BANGKOK, May 16 (TNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees national security, says that the Royal Thai Army plans to buy helicopters from Russia and tanks from China to replace aging ones. General Prawit, who is also Defence Minister, told journalists on Tuesday that the plan to buy tanks from China has been made a long time ago. General Prawit explained that it is unnecessary for the Royal Thai Army to buy weaponry from any particular country. Touching on an ongoing five-day visit to Russia by Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha, scheduled for May 17-21, General Prawit said the prime minister will discuss with Russian senior officials on a Thai government plan to buy the M17 helicopters to be used for helping people and disaster mitigation, like dousing bush fires. Meanwhile, Thai Army Chief General Thirachai Nakwanich told reporters that the Royal Thai Army has informed the prime minister the necessity to buy helicopters, replacing C-47 Chinook ones, to be used for helping people during emergency and for supplying reinforcements. General Thirachai noted that the Royal Thai Army also plans to procure tanks from China because they are not too expensive and also have high efficiency. (TNA)