Kitted out in blue helmets and UN peacekeeping shoulder flashes, the Thai army unit will leave on Saturday for South Sudan. (Photo Facebook/engineerdept)Almost 300 troops will head overseas to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the troubled African country of South Sudan on Saturday, according to the Royal Thai Army. Deputy army spokesman Col Sirichan Ngathong said the Thai contingent, known as Thai Horizontal Military Engineering Company (HMEC), comprises 273 soldiers who will be deployed for a one-year mission. She said the troops have also been educated about the principles of the "sufficiency economy" so they can share the knowledge with the people of South Sudan. According to Col Sirichan, the army has also sent major equipment which, along with the forward command, has already arrived in South Sudan.

Source: Bangkok Post December 20, 2018 21:45 UTC