"Kocha Singa 2018" to be jointly closed by Singapore, Thai army forces

BANGKOK, May 8 (TNA) - Visiting Singapore Chief of Army Brigadier General Goh Si Hou and his Thai counterpart General Chalermchai Sitthisad will preside over a ceremony to officially close this year's joint drill between the two ASEAN neighboring countries' army forces, coded "Kocha Singa 2018", on May 9. Deputy Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Army Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong told journalists on Tuesday that the new Singapore chief of army, who is paying an official visit to Thailand during May 7-9 to introduce himself, is also scheduled to hold talks with his Thai counterpart at the Royal Thai Army Headquarters in Bangkok after Wednesday morning's event to officially close the "Kocha Singa 2018" joint exercise. The deputy army spokesperson stated that Singapore and Thai army forces have conducted their joint exercises since 1997, thanks to sound relations between the two countries' army forces. The deputy army spokesperson said that the 20th Kocha Singa Singapore-Thai joint army exercise is hosted by the Thai side during April 27-May 11 in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the Thai Northeast, in which 140 Singapore and 563 Thai army officers participate. According to the Thai deputy army spokesperson, this year's joint drill covers field and co-ordinating practices of commanding and operating officers in countering explosive work, peacekeeping, jungle living and indoor combats, as well as technological exchanges and empty-handed self-defense skills. (TNA)