Police were trying to identify three victims, whose bodies have already been recovered, and to extract the last body from the wrecked aircraft.

A log entry for the Eurocopter 355 NP helicopter, owned by a private company, reported four men were aboard at the time of the crash, reported the Department of Airports coordination centre for disaster search and rescue.

The four cited as aboard were pilot Seksan Wanna, assistant pilot Pol Colonel Sinsamut Sinpetha, and passengers Somnao Noisakul and Ronnakit Phetchnil.

The aircraft had been chartered by Channel 7 reporter Natthapong Muhammad and his team covering the Northeast region, and was on the way to pick them up from Khon Kaen Airport.

Following the crash report at 9am, police officers from the Chonnabot precinct rushed to the scene, a paddy field in Hu Ling village, Tambon Wang Saeng. They saw a completely wrecked helicopter on fire with bodies and aircraft pieces scattered in a several-metre radius.

The incident prompted national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda to instruct the Provincial Police Region 4 to carefully investigate the crash, while Khon Kaen provincial governor Somsak Jantrakul also led officials to inspect the crash scene.