Pol Lt Col Chaturong Wattanapraisarn, the pilot of the doomed aircraft which crashed into the sea off Cha Am this morning, has succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
He became the final victim of the deadly accident, in which a de Havilland DHC-6-400 Twin Otter plane plunged into the sea off Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Five other passengers died at the scene, but Chaturong was rushed to a local ICU. He was pronounced dead this afternoon.
The five other fatalities were Pol Col Pratharn Khieukham, Pol Lt Col Panthep Maneewatcharangkoon (co-pilot), Pol Lt Thanawat Mekprasertsuk, and two mechanics, Pol Sgt Maj Prawat Pholhongsa and Lance Corporal Jirawat Marksakha.
Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet visited the crash site and was seen saluting the victims, whose bodies were draped with the Thai national flag. He also visited Chaturong at the hospital.
A police spokesman said earlier that the aircraft was on a trial flight, in preparation for a parachute exercise in Hua Hin.
The wreckage was found lying in shallow water, not far from Cha-am beach.
Kitrat stated that the investigation into the cause of the accident is expected to take about a month.
