Thai, British soldiers in Panther Gold joint drill

BANGKOK, Nov 1 (TNA) -- Soldiers of the United Kingdom arrived for Panther Gold, the first combined exercise of Thai and British soldiers in 20 years. The UK army and their hardware arrived on KC-30/Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft at Wing 6 in Don Muang district, Bangkok. Col Roger Lewis, British military attaché to Bangkok, said the Panther Gold exercise happened for the first time in 20 years for soldiers to learn terrains and suitable warfare plans. Forests in Kanchanaburi province were selected for the drill in Thailand. The UK also had military exercises in Malaysia and Singapore but only used their areas. With Thailand, it was a combined exercise of soldiers from two countries. It was the first combined drill in 20 years as Thailand and the UK had military ties for 405 years, Col Roger said. Panther Gold 2017 was set on Nov 1-24. (TNA)