Thai-US Cobra Gold 2010 to begin Feb 1

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Thai-US Cobra Gold 2010 to begin Feb 1 
Bangkok Post: 9 Jan 2010
WAR GAMES
Cobra Gold set to begin on Feb 1

The 2010 Thai-US Cobra Gold military exercises has been rescheduled to take place next month, military officers said yesterday.

Joint exercises with China will go on as originally planned, and will include disaster mitigation training, they added.

Cobra Gold, which is usually held in May, will take place between Feb 1 and 11 this year so that soldiers from participating countries can train in cooler and more comfortable weather, according to defence spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng.

The annual drill, in which Thai, US, Singaporean, Japanese, Indonesian, and Korean soldiers will participate, will be held in the navy compound in the coastal province of Rayong.

US representatives will be invited to observe a separate drill between the Thai and Chinese navies, which is also scheduled for early 2010.

"To avoid doubts that the drill is only a war game, we will jointly have exercises on disaster mitigation and humanitarian aids," said navy chief Kamthorn Pumhirun. He added the US would understand that Thailand "needs to have a drill with other friendly countries as well".

The Chinese Defence Ministry has suggested that Thailand and China hold joint military exercises similar to Cobra Gold, but the navy wants to start small, with between 50 to 100 soldiers.

"We don't have enough budget," said Adm Kamthorn.

The date for the Thai-Chinese joint military training has not been announced, but it is expected to be take place within the next few months.

www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/30711/cobra-gold-set-to-begin-on-feb-1