A soldier and an officer cadet reportedly died after their tank flipped over during a joint military training exercise in Lop Buri on Tuesday.
The dead men were identified as SM1 Sanga Joitho, attached to the 2nd Cavalry Division, King's Guard, who was the tank driver, and Phuwanai Kamlangdee, a third-year cadet from Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, who was assigned as the tank's gunner.
A source said the tragedy occurred at 7.40am as the Scorpion light tank driven by SM1 Sanga was negotiating a bend to join a counterattacking drill during an annual integrated civil-military-police training exercise.
At that moment, an FTX army truck approached in the opposite direction. To avoid a collision, the tank swerved left while it was approaching a mound before it flipped over on the roadside, throwing the cadet from the tank, which resulted in him breaking his neck, while the driver sustained severe injuries.
The truck and its driver were reportedly unscathed.
The two injured men were rushed to Ananda Mahidol Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. An initial autopsy showed the cadet may have died at the scene as he had suffered a collapsed lung and a significant loss of blood.
The tank driver reportedly succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.
Army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae said the army will look into welfare benefits for the families and will help organise funeral rites.