BANGKOK — The Royal Thai Army has dismissed speculation that a helicopter crash that killed 9 servicemen earlier this week was a result of the aircraft’s old age.

The US-manufactured Bell-212 helicopter went down in a forest in Phayao province on 17 November, killing all nine of its passengers. Maj.Gen. Songphol Thongjeen, deputy commander of the Third Region Army, was among the fatalities. 

The crash raised concerns that the age of the chopper, built during the Cold War and imported to Thailand in 1995, may have been a significant factor behind the incident. According to data provided by Thai army, the first batch of Bell-212 helicopters was purchased in 1976, and the last in 2004.

However, a spokesperson of Third Region Army said the age of the choppers is not a concern because Bell-212s can be used for up to 30 years. 

"We have been using those helicopters in the Third Region Army for 20 years," Maj.Gen. Thana Charuwat said. "They can still be used for the next 10 years." 

He added that the cause of the incident is still under investigation, but stressed that pilots and mechanics in the Thai army have been performing “strict” maintenance checks on all aircrafts. 

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, chairman of the Thai military junta and Prime Minister, similarly downplayed the age of the choppers in a press conference at the Government House yesterday. 

"I am sorry for what happened. I don't want such loss to happen again," Gen. Prayuth said. "It was an accident. No one wanted it to happen. Pilots didn't want it to happen, either. The mechanics have checked the machine regularly. We will investigate the cause."

He continued, "I admit that the helicopters are old, but every other country uses them. We also have helicopters that are even older, the HUHD [sic]. They are 30-40 years old, but they can still fly."

"Anything can happen once your feet leave the ground," Gen. Prayuth concluded. 

Meanwhile, Maj.Gen. Thana Charuwat, spokesperson of Third Region Army, denied media reports that the Thai army grounded all of its B-212 helicopters following the crash.

'Gate of hell is open'

However, some of the soldiers who perished in the 17 November crash appeared to have had doubts about the old helicopter.

Sgt. Anan Chomchiangkam, a mechanic onboard the Bell-212, posted the following comment his Facebook moments before the aircraft took off:

"Time to challenge the sky and brave the cold wind again. New pilot, old helicopter. Weather is closed [bad], the gate of hell is open."

An uncle of Sgt. Somphob Malaiwong, another soldier who died in the crash, told reporters that his nephew mentioned the age of the helicopter when he met with him several days before the incident.

"He wanted to change his deployment from Phitsanulok camp to Loburi camp because there are only old helicopters [at the former]," said his uncle, Surin Puangsriraksa."He said they were very dangerous and risky."

The Royal Thai Army is considered one of the most powerful and corrupt institutions in Thailand. Critics say the annual budget of 91 billion baht is regularly used to purchase questionable equipment.

In 2010, a state-sponsored scientific test revealed that the Thai army’s GT-200 "bomb detectors," purchased from a British conman, were fake. The army has also come under criticism for purchasing a 350 million baht "surveillance airship" that has repeatedly failed to take off. 

In 2011, 17 people were killed when three army helicopters crashed over a period of two weeks. 

BANGKOK — Five university students are being held in an army camp for flashing an anti-coup hand gesture while Prime Minister and junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha was giving a speech in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen this morning.

Gen. Prayuth, who led the 22 May coup, was speaking on a stage when the law students stood up to flash the three-finger salute and reveal black t-shirts that said “we do not accept the coup.”

The three-finger salute became a symbol of anti-coup resistance shortly after the military takeover in May, and is said to be inspired by the popular sci-fi book and movie series, The Hunger Games, where it is used to symbolize rebellion against totalitarian rule.

The students were quickly escorted off the premises and taken to a police station in Khon Kaen before they were transferred to an army camp in the province. 

The five students were brought to a police station in Khon Kaen before being taken to an army camp, 18 Nov 2014.

"It's okay, we are all Thais," Gen. Prayuth assured the audience while security forces removed the students from the event. 

Shortly after seizing power, the junta banned public protests and has since sent violators to face trial in military court, where appeals are not permitted.

The male law students currently in military custody are all members of the Dao Din student activist group at Khon Kaen University.

The group released a statement today in which they declared their opposition to the coup and Gen. Prayuth’s leadership, Prachatai Englishreported.

"We will not take any order or policy that comes from the dictatorship government," the statement reads. "We are asking Gen. Prayuth Chan-Ocha to lift the martial law, which is causing problems for people throughout the country who are not able to express their opinions, which is adestruction of the fundamental human rights that people should have."

Today marked Gen. Prayuth's first visit as the country's Prime Minister to northeastern Thailand, the heartland of the political faction known as the Redshirts that supported the government he toppled in the 22 May coup. 

This morning, flyers were scattered around the city centre bearing the text, "Isaan doesn't welcome dictators," using the Thai name for the northeast region. 

In the wake of the coup, the junta has cracked down on Redshirt networks by briefly detaining hundreds of politicians, activists, and academics perceived to be sympathetic to the former government. Most detainees have been forced to sign agreements not to participate in any political activities as a condition of their release. 

In late May, the military arrested 22 people in Khon Kaen and accused them of plotting an armed insurrection against the junta in an operation known as the "Khon Kaen model."

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BANGKOK — Police blocked a protest in Bangkok against plans to build a controversial dam in northern Thailand today, citing the military junta's ban on all political activities.

Around twenty activists, some dressed up as tigers and other wildlife, were planning to demonstrate at Kasetsart University in Bangkok this afternoon in protest of the construction of Mae Wong dam in Nakhon Sawan province, which they say would gravely damage the surrounding natural habitat.

However, just before the demonstration was about to begin, police officers from Bang Khen Police Station arrived at the university and asked the demonstrators to disperse. 

The police said they could not allow the demonstration to take place because of the ban on protests imposed by Thailand’s military junta, formally known as the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO).

The police also brought  the deputy dean of Kasetsart University, Narongchai Pipattanawong,  to negotiate with the student activists. The protesters eventually agreed to cancel their demonstration, and no arrests were made. 

Kasetsart dean Narongchai told reporters that the students were planning to stage a "symbolic expression" about their opposition to the Mae Wong dam.

"They wanted to urge the government and relevant agencies to think carefully about the consequences that may happen if there is approval for construction of the Mae Wong dam," Narongchai said. 

Environmentalists say the Mae Wong dam could destroy large swaths of wildlife habitat and permanently affect the ecology in the region. Critics of the dam also point to the lack of a transparent scientific assessment of the potential negative side effects of the dam. 

Protests against Mae Wong Dam preceded the 22 May 2014 military coup, but the movement has been forced to keep a relatively low profile because of the military junta's zero tolerance for protests.