Great shots!
Bangkok and Beyond! A quick trip to the Thai capital
- Thread starter nuuumannn
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- Thread starter
- #22
Continuing on with my Thai adventure. I struggled to get a good angle on this model of the Chakri Naruebet, the Thai aircraft carrier. Commissioned in 1997, the Chakri Naruebet, meaning Sovereign of the Chakri Dynasty was built by Bazan, Spain. Originally its air group comprised nine AV-8S Matadors, ex-Spanish Navy Harriers, plus six SH-60, or S-70B and up to four MH-60S Seahawks, but the Matadors were retired in 2006 and the carrier is now classified as Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier by the Thais. A total of 14 helicopters can be carried aboard the carrier, considered one of the world's smallest operational aircraft carriers. We'll see a Matador soon.
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A Japanese Type 98 20-mm AA cannon. (By doing this I'm learning heaps about Japanese guns and stuff!)
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The cupola, bow adornment and stern from a traditional Dragon Boat.
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An assortment of naval weaponry, including sea mines, depth charge throwers, torpedoes and air dropped bombs. I'm not entirely sure what the white bulbs with the tall spikes are. Paravanes, perhaps? They don't have any foiling surfaces though.
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I know that this is an Armstrong breech loading gun from Elswick, Newcastle, based on the badge on its crown.
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Ornately decorated torpedo tubes.
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Armstrong-built 12 pdr gun from HTMS Phra Ruang.
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Bofors 75/51 dual purpose gun from HTMS Thonburi.
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Finally from the naval museum, a painting of HTMS Thonburi engaging the French light cruiser Lamotte-Piquet during the Battle of Koh Chang on 17 January 1941 in the museum foyer.
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Directly opposite the naval museum on the other side of the road is the Thai Naval Academy and next to the parade ground is the forward gun turret and conning tower from the Thonburi. Unfortunately, these are within the fenced-off compound and are not accessible to the public. Given that the BTS Skytrain public transit is elevated above ground level, I got my camera ready and stood at the window of the train as it accelerated past the academy building in the hope I might get a glimpse of the Thonburi...
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Not the best photo given the train carriage had an advert covering the windows.
While travelling north on the Sukhumvit Line, a few stops from where I get off I stopped at the Science Centre for Education and Planetarium, formerly the Bangkok Science Museum to take a look at the aircraft in the courtyard outside. They're slowly giving way to the elements.
Decorated as an RTAF C-47, this is former Thai Army DC-3, S/n 9414.
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You can see the entry door, which determines this as a DC-3 as opposed to a C-47 Skytrain, which had the double opening cargo doors aft and which the RTAF was equipped with.
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Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer
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Thai Civil Aviation Training Centre Piper Aztec.
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The Civil Aviation Training Centre is located in Chatuchak, Chomphon District, Bangkok, close to Don Mueang Airport, location of the Thai Air Force Museum.
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F-86F Sabre. Thailand received 40 F-86Fs, which equipped 12, 13 and 43 Squadrons, RTAF.
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This aircraft is in the markings of 43 Sqn, which operated the type between 1964 and 1975.
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Finally for today, this. Who knew the faked moon landing was filmed in a park in Thailand...
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Coming up: Aircraft, aircraft and more aircraft (and a tank, some guns and a boat thrown in, too!)
A Japanese Type 98 20-mm AA cannon. (By doing this I'm learning heaps about Japanese guns and stuff!)
The cupola, bow adornment and stern from a traditional Dragon Boat.
An assortment of naval weaponry, including sea mines, depth charge throwers, torpedoes and air dropped bombs. I'm not entirely sure what the white bulbs with the tall spikes are. Paravanes, perhaps? They don't have any foiling surfaces though.
I know that this is an Armstrong breech loading gun from Elswick, Newcastle, based on the badge on its crown.
Ornately decorated torpedo tubes.
Armstrong-built 12 pdr gun from HTMS Phra Ruang.
Bofors 75/51 dual purpose gun from HTMS Thonburi.
Finally from the naval museum, a painting of HTMS Thonburi engaging the French light cruiser Lamotte-Piquet during the Battle of Koh Chang on 17 January 1941 in the museum foyer.
Directly opposite the naval museum on the other side of the road is the Thai Naval Academy and next to the parade ground is the forward gun turret and conning tower from the Thonburi. Unfortunately, these are within the fenced-off compound and are not accessible to the public. Given that the BTS Skytrain public transit is elevated above ground level, I got my camera ready and stood at the window of the train as it accelerated past the academy building in the hope I might get a glimpse of the Thonburi...
Not the best photo given the train carriage had an advert covering the windows.
While travelling north on the Sukhumvit Line, a few stops from where I get off I stopped at the Science Centre for Education and Planetarium, formerly the Bangkok Science Museum to take a look at the aircraft in the courtyard outside. They're slowly giving way to the elements.
Decorated as an RTAF C-47, this is former Thai Army DC-3, S/n 9414.
You can see the entry door, which determines this as a DC-3 as opposed to a C-47 Skytrain, which had the double opening cargo doors aft and which the RTAF was equipped with.
Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer
Thai Civil Aviation Training Centre Piper Aztec.
The Civil Aviation Training Centre is located in Chatuchak, Chomphon District, Bangkok, close to Don Mueang Airport, location of the Thai Air Force Museum.
F-86F Sabre. Thailand received 40 F-86Fs, which equipped 12, 13 and 43 Squadrons, RTAF.
This aircraft is in the markings of 43 Sqn, which operated the type between 1964 and 1975.
Finally for today, this. Who knew the faked moon landing was filmed in a park in Thailand...
Coming up: Aircraft, aircraft and more aircraft (and a tank, some guns and a boat thrown in, too!)
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 43,372
- Mar 26, 2007
That white thing is I think a float or pig. Part of mine sleeping stuff.
Snautzer01
Honourably banned
- 43,372
- Mar 26, 2007
42-23538 ... 42-23580
Douglas C-47A-25-DL
42-23552 (MSN 9414) to RAF as FD868. To civil market as G-AGHN, then VH-BZB J Jamieson t/a
Guinea Air Traders Nov 21, 1949. To Ansett AAV "Ansertes" Aug 19, 1950. To Thai
Airways in 1958 as HS-TDF. To Thai AF Dec 1966 as 9414
Douglas C-47A-25-DL
42-23552 (MSN 9414) to RAF as FD868. To civil market as G-AGHN, then VH-BZB J Jamieson t/a
Guinea Air Traders Nov 21, 1949. To Ansett AAV "Ansertes" Aug 19, 1950. To Thai
Airways in 1958 as HS-TDF. To Thai AF Dec 1966 as 9414
- Thread starter
- #26
That's it! Thanks for that, pal!
- Thread starter
- #27
Interesting that it was built as a C-47 as it doesn't have the cargo door, and according to the data I have on preserved Thai aircraft it was operated by the Thai Army, not the Thai Air Force - one of these sources is wrong at least. Nevertheless, great info and good to see it has Southern Hemisphere provenance.
- Thread starter
- #28
Today we start in the north of Bangkok outside Don Mueang Airport, again on the ubiquitous Sukhumvit Line of the BTS and we cross the road after disembarking at Royal Thai Air Force Museum Station (yes, that's the stop name) and go to the RTAF Aviation Park. Distinctively crowned by this impressive sculpture, the RTAF Aviation Park is located in the courtyard of facilities belonging to the RTAF, but excellently, it is free for the public to wander about in.
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The sculpture represents, according to the blurb "four generations of RTAF fighters". F-86F, F-5A, F-5E and F-16A.
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The aircraft wear dual identities. The Sabre wears markings of 13 Sqn on the left and 43 Sqn on the right, the F-5A wears 231 Sqn on the left and 103 Sqn on the right, the F-5E wears 711 Sqn on the left and 211 Sqn on the right, the F-16A wears 102 Sqn on the left and 103 Sqn on the right.
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On either side of the sculpture are displays written in Thai and English that chart the history of the RTAF.
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Sitting at the northern end of the compound is a 12 Sqn F-86L.
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Those plinth mounted aircraft again. As I left the compound, the guard on duty gave me a sharp salute!
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Heading up the road toward the next junction, I took my life in my own hands (being careful to watch for scooter riders who ignore all the road rules!) and crossed at the pedestrian crossing to photograph this Sabre Dog. Note the carriage of AAMs.
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This is a 12 Sqn example - easier to tell now... ;D
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Walking back across the road to the BTS station, you can see the entrance to the RTAF Aviation Park from here, illustrating how high the BTS rail infrastructure is above ground level. Building the Skytrain was a mammoth undertaking, as I've mentioned before, Bangkok also has an underground metro, but the BTS adds routes previously unreachable by rail. It was a godsend. My hotel was very close to the Sukhumvit (Green) Line, which made transit to and from these places so convenient.
IMG_20241220_085454383_AE
Another view of the sculpture from the BTS station. At this stage I crossed the road (using the BTS walkways to avoid being killed) to go to the RTAF museum, but at the main gate I was told that it was closed! Dangit! That night and for the next few days the museum was holding a "Night at the Museum", which, I found out was a city wide initiative where museums were open exclusively until late, so, bearing that in mind, I now had something to do this evening! The next thing was to get to my next attraction, and for that I'd need an air conditioned taxi - I didn't fancy waiting for a bus in the heat.
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My next stop is The National Memorial. This is further north from the end of the BTS line and took 20 minutes in the cab from the RTAF Museum. It is a visitor centre focussing on the military history of Thailand. It is designed to inspire patriotism among the Thai people and conveniently the displays are captioned in English, too, although its foreign tourist count probably isn't that high. I wouldn't imagine it is very well known on the tourist radar given how far north of the city it is and the fact there is only a bus link to it. This is the complex from the outside. The building is designed to invoke a traditional Wat, and it has a few bits of hardware of interest surrounding it.
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A patriotically adorned 75 mm Bofors L-40 field gun guards the entrance.
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LVT-4 positioned to one side of the T-28 on the plinth. In photos there used to be a Type 95 Ha Go tank on the other side of the plinth, so I was quite disappointed to find it was missing and there was no evidence it had ever been there!
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The T-28D and no sign of the Ha Go! (I guess it's Ha Gone...)
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The aircraft is aging and appears to have been fitted with a makeshift airbrake (yes, I know it is an open access door).
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One of the many Pibbers operated by the Thai Navy. As previously mentioned, there are around 30 of these still in service. Is that Fortunate Son playing on the tannoy...?
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This one has its jet units fitted, unlike the one at the naval museum, although the guns are replicas.
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A Bell OH-13 Sioux formerly of the Thai Army, one of 21 operated by the army.
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Next time, a few things inside The National Memorial and a run-in with the police!
The sculpture represents, according to the blurb "four generations of RTAF fighters". F-86F, F-5A, F-5E and F-16A.
The aircraft wear dual identities. The Sabre wears markings of 13 Sqn on the left and 43 Sqn on the right, the F-5A wears 231 Sqn on the left and 103 Sqn on the right, the F-5E wears 711 Sqn on the left and 211 Sqn on the right, the F-16A wears 102 Sqn on the left and 103 Sqn on the right.
On either side of the sculpture are displays written in Thai and English that chart the history of the RTAF.
Sitting at the northern end of the compound is a 12 Sqn F-86L.
Those plinth mounted aircraft again. As I left the compound, the guard on duty gave me a sharp salute!
Heading up the road toward the next junction, I took my life in my own hands (being careful to watch for scooter riders who ignore all the road rules!) and crossed at the pedestrian crossing to photograph this Sabre Dog. Note the carriage of AAMs.
This is a 12 Sqn example - easier to tell now... ;D
Walking back across the road to the BTS station, you can see the entrance to the RTAF Aviation Park from here, illustrating how high the BTS rail infrastructure is above ground level. Building the Skytrain was a mammoth undertaking, as I've mentioned before, Bangkok also has an underground metro, but the BTS adds routes previously unreachable by rail. It was a godsend. My hotel was very close to the Sukhumvit (Green) Line, which made transit to and from these places so convenient.
Another view of the sculpture from the BTS station. At this stage I crossed the road (using the BTS walkways to avoid being killed) to go to the RTAF museum, but at the main gate I was told that it was closed! Dangit! That night and for the next few days the museum was holding a "Night at the Museum", which, I found out was a city wide initiative where museums were open exclusively until late, so, bearing that in mind, I now had something to do this evening! The next thing was to get to my next attraction, and for that I'd need an air conditioned taxi - I didn't fancy waiting for a bus in the heat.
My next stop is The National Memorial. This is further north from the end of the BTS line and took 20 minutes in the cab from the RTAF Museum. It is a visitor centre focussing on the military history of Thailand. It is designed to inspire patriotism among the Thai people and conveniently the displays are captioned in English, too, although its foreign tourist count probably isn't that high. I wouldn't imagine it is very well known on the tourist radar given how far north of the city it is and the fact there is only a bus link to it. This is the complex from the outside. The building is designed to invoke a traditional Wat, and it has a few bits of hardware of interest surrounding it.
A patriotically adorned 75 mm Bofors L-40 field gun guards the entrance.
LVT-4 positioned to one side of the T-28 on the plinth. In photos there used to be a Type 95 Ha Go tank on the other side of the plinth, so I was quite disappointed to find it was missing and there was no evidence it had ever been there!
The T-28D and no sign of the Ha Go! (I guess it's Ha Gone...)
The aircraft is aging and appears to have been fitted with a makeshift airbrake (yes, I know it is an open access door).
One of the many Pibbers operated by the Thai Navy. As previously mentioned, there are around 30 of these still in service. Is that Fortunate Son playing on the tannoy...?
This one has its jet units fitted, unlike the one at the naval museum, although the guns are replicas.
A Bell OH-13 Sioux formerly of the Thai Army, one of 21 operated by the army.
Next time, a few things inside The National Memorial and a run-in with the police!
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SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
That "like" is actually a "bacon". I wanted to see these sights but I felt I took enough of my stepson's time.
Peter Gunn
Master Sergeant
As a Northerner that relocated South, imagine how conflicted I feel...
Shortround6
Major General
Florida is a land of it's own. True southerners don't include Florida as part of the south. OK, maybe, just maybe, the Florida panhandle ?
