“This visit does not mean Thailand is choosing to side with Russia. And we are not changing our diplomatic policy,” he said.

“We have never chosen sides. We are a free country.”

Thailand wants to maintain good ties with all countries, he said.

He dismissed speculation that there were negotiations for helicopters or weapons. Any weapons purchase would have to be made on a government-to-government level.

However, security was on the agenda during his meeting with Russian leaders.

Prayut told media outlet Russia Beyond the Headlines last week that he was interested in buying Russian dual-use helicopters and military hardware.

He also said this week that the deals, if there were any, were nothing out of the ordinary.

“Do you want military officers to stick with old, worn-out hardware? They have lives, too,” he said.

General Prayut told reporters in Russia that expectations were high over his latest Russian visit.

Both countries would celebrate 120 years of diplomatic relations by ensuring closer ties.

“Both countries have had diplomatic ties for a long time but they lack continuation,” he said.

On Wednesday, Prayut vowed to boost cooperation with Russia in various fields including tourism, science and technology, and trade during a discussion with Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev in Saint Petersburg.

During their fourth meeting since Prayut came to power, the Thai PM told Medvedev that Thailand was prepared to welcome more Russian tourists by relaunching Thai Airway International’s Bangkok-Moscow route by the end of this year.

Familiarisation trips were also being prepared to serve inbound Russian tourists.

Despite the occasional reports of abuse against tourists by Thais, Prayut ensured Medvedev of Thailand’s safety as a tourist destination.

Russians’ enthusiasm for travelling to Thailand slumped along with their economy two years ago.

The situation has gradually improved following Russia’s conflicts with Turkey and its flight suspensions to Egypt, resulting in more Russians visiting Thailand.

Russian arrivals spurted 15.3 per cent to 440,000 in the first quarter, recovering from last year’s drop of 52.8 per cent.

Prayut expressed Thailand’s |interest in Russia’s science and |technology expertise, inviting its agencies to host space technology exhibitions in the Kingdom to augment Thai knowledge in the speciality.

He thanked Medvedev for supporting the signing a cooperation between the National Science and Technology Development Agency and the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, stressing that technology and innovation are essential for Thailand to promote startups.

Prayut asked Russia to consider increasing imports of Thai foods and agricultural products.

He invited Russia to invest in the Kingdom’s super cluster and special economic zones, especially in the digital, aircraft, biotechnology and nano technology industries.

Thailand is focusing on legal amendments and infrastructure to create an investor-friendly environment.

He reiterated Thailand’s ambition to boost trade fivefold with Russia within five years.

After the discussion, they witnessed the signing of six memoranda of understanding for agriculture, fishery, finance and banking information exchanges, and environmental protection as well as eight private MoUs for energy, science and small and medium-sized enterprise support.

They also witnessed the inking of 11 documents by both countries’ private sector worth about US$1 billion, making Thailand the second biggest Asean investor in Russia.

Prayut yesterday left St Petersburg for Sochi, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before attending the Asean-Russian Commemorative Summit today to end his official trip to the country.