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The troops were on their way to a meeting on security in the deep South.

The crash occurred in a jungle area near Sunat Tanon village in Tambon Tanoh Maeroh at around 11.40am.

"The Bell UH1H helicopter took off from Pattani," Royal Thai Air Force deputy spokesman Group Captain Monthon Satchukorn said. "We will investigate what caused it."

All 10 officers on board were killed.

They were identified as: Flight Lieutenant Nopporn Mingsiri, first pilot; Flight Lieutenant Chatchai Chujai, second pilot; Flight Sergeant First Class Nikom Amfong, flight mechanic; Flight Sergeant First Class Chaiwat Jittritip, flight mechanic; Flight Sergeant First Class Songkran Inthachote; Sergeant Sirichote Sukkul, flight rescue officer; Group Captain Thirapong Siksamat, deputy commander of Air Force Taskforce 9; Group Captain Kamol Jalwanna; Wing Commander Chaiwat Boonyarti; Colonel Wanchai Puangkhumsup, deputy commander of Pattani army taskforce.

Monthon said the families of each commissioned officer killed in the crash would get an extra pension of Bt1 million, while compensation of Bt500,000 would be paid to families of non-commissioned officers.

Col Akara Thiproj, the army spokesman and chief of Internal Security Operations Command at Region 4's Information Operation Centre, lamented the heavy loss of life. "It's hard to accept what has happened," he said.