Thai Army Grants Posthumous Promotions

[Lite Beer]

Army grants posthumous promotions

By Panya Thiosangwan

The Nation on Sunday

The Royal Thai Army granted posthumous promotions plus a special bonus to each of the eight soldiers killed in the Army Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi.

Thai Army deputy spokeswoman Sirijan Ngathong said the Army would provide monetary assistance ranging from Bt1 million to Bt4 million, according to each officer's ranking, plus special bonus to the deceased officers.

They were also promoted posthumously. Chief of the 9th Infantry Division Maj-General Tawan Ruengsri was made a General, Major Praphan Jiamsoongnern a Lt-General, Major Choophan Phollawan became a Maj-General, Captain Jes Sukjai became a Colonel, Captain Jakkraphan Bamrungphuet a Lt-Colonel, Sgt-Major Somkhid Wongtasaeng a Lt-Colonel, Sergeant Aram Phongsing a Captain and Lance Corporal Itthisak Hinasut a First Lieutenant.

Royally sponsored cremations were held yesterday at Wat Dong Sawong in Lop Buri for Major Praphan, Major Choophan, Sgt-Major Somkhid and Sergeant Aram, while the royally sponsored cremation of Lance Corporal Itthisak was held at Wat Benpad in Kanchanaburi.

The royally sponsored cremation of Channel 5 cameraman Sornwichai Kongtannikul will be held today at Wat Maneechonkhan in Lop Buri. The royally-sponsored cremations of Maj-General Tawan and Captain Jes would be held at Wat Thung Ladya in Kanchanaburi tomorrow. The royally-sponsored cremation of Captain Jakkraphan will be held on August 3 at Bangkok's Wat Saladaeng.

The nine were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter, which crashed on July 19, while on a mission to evacuate the bodies of five Army personnel killed in the crash of another chopper on July 16 near the Thai-Burma border. A third helicopter on the mission to retrieve the nine bodies also crashed on July 24, killing another three soldiers and injuring one.

-- The Nation 2011-07-31

[londonthai]

I can understand posthumous promotions, if they were suppose to be given shortly within future, but the soldier died.

what I do not understand, how and why money would be given to the dead.

"... a special bonus to each of the eight soldiers killed in the Army Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi. ... the Army would provide monetary assistance ranging from Bt1 million to Bt4 million, according to each officer's ranking, plus special bonus to the deceased officers."

something missed in the translation, maybe the word "family"

Edited July 31, 2011 by londonthai

[planemad]

Gratuities and pensions accrued by the dead soldiers would be raised inline with their new rank. I guess it is a long term way of supporting the families of the deceased. RIP guys.