Rescue workers recover remains of victims from the site of the helicopter crash in Phayao province. REUTERS/Daily News
The two-blade, twin-engine Bell 212 helicopter crashed 10 minutes after it took off from an army camp in Phayao province, 590km from the capital Bangkok, deputy Royal Thai Army spokeswoman Colonel Sirijan Ngathong said.
The helicopter was carrying nine officers including Major General Songphol Thongjeen, deputy Third Area Army commander overseeing Thailand's north.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, Royal Thai Army spokesman, Winthai Suvaree, said.
Thailand's military has a history of fatal helicopter crashes. Three in 2011, just days apart, left 17 people dead and forced the army to ground its fleet of Bell 212 helicopters.
Engine failure and poor visibility are often blamed for the crashes.
