Thai army suspends U.S. training plans after soldiers contract COVID-19

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Thai army suspends U.S. training plans after soldiers contract COVID-19

 

FILE PHOTO: Thai soldiers attend a morning training at military barracks in Prachin Buri outside Bangkok, Thailand, July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has suspended plans for its army to undertake joint training with the U.S. military after nine Thai soldiers tested positive for coronavirus upon returning from Hawaii, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

 

The Thai Army said the infected soldiers were among 151 Thai officers who had returned from Lightning Forge 2020 training with U.S. soldiers in Hawaii for the first three weeks of July.

 

"The army has suspended all plans to bring forces abroad until the situation improves," said defence ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantawanich. Thailand had no plans for joint training with other countries but the United States, he said.

 

Nattapon Srisawat, the head of the Thai Army's anti-Covid-19 unit, told Reuters the army had to exercise caution. "It will be difficult to travel at the moment as we have to be careful," he said.

 

Thailand has reported 3,317 cases and 58 deaths. Recent infections were imported from abroad, marking 69 successive days without of any domestic transmission.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-03

 

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[Bender Rodriguez]

how does that work ? with several translators ? doubt thai conscripts do understand much angrit

 

anyway, army = waste of money

[AndrewMciver]

 

I am very shocked by this development. 

 

I did not see this coming. Thai soldiers going to the USA to train coming back with viral cases. This has left me so shocked that i  doubt anything could shock me again. 

 

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

2 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

how does that work ? with several translators ? doubt thai conscripts do understand much angrit

 

anyway, army = waste of money

I somehow doubt that conscripts would get near such a trip!

 

A carefully selected group...

[JulesMad]

Looking for the famous Thai smile in the pic...

[PETERTHEEATER]

It will be difficult to travel at the moment as we have to be careful," he said.

 

NSS?

[from the home of CC]

yeah unless they're training for bio warfare what would be the point.. 

[JohnnyNJoy]

I do not get why they see a point in having people come over to train at this time. We're in a pandemic, do we really need to? 

[lee b]

2 minutes ago, JohnnyNJoy said:

I do not get why they see a point in having people come over to train at this time. We're in a pandemic, do we really need to? 

Its utter crazy, I mean the US hasn't really got many COVID cases has it........Someone made a big mistake by approving this.

[Calvin1976]

Amerona virUS coming...