Bangkok and Beyond! A quick trip to the Thai capital

[GrauGeist]

Excellent photos and descriptions, Grant!

Thanks for taking us along on your walkabout.

Out of curiousity, are you and Rob in ol' Siam at the same time?

 

[SaparotRob]

Excellent photos and descriptions, Grant!

Thanks for taking us along on your walkabout.

Out of curiousity, are you and Rob in ol' Siam at the same time?

I'm in Pattaya right now and Sunday, my family and I will be hooking up and heading to Jomtien.
I don't know my son's schedule but I might be able to get him to take us to the Royal Thai Air Force museum the following Sunday. If we're lucky, my granddaughter will be able to break us into another locked hall.

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

According to Curtiss documents the 12 Siam order 75N were delivered in the US November 1938 to January 1939. This was during the main P-36A run (September 1938 to March 1939), alongside the 30 75O for Argentina (Nov/Dec 38) and the start of the 75A-1 order for France in December 1939.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely shots Grant!

 

[nuuumannn]

According to Curtiss documents the 12 Siam order 75N were delivered in the US November 1938 to January 1939. This was during the main P-36A run (September 1938 to March 1939), alongside the 30 75O for Argentina (Nov/Dec 38) and the start of the 75A-1 order for France in December 1939.

Excellent, thank you Geoff. While the initial order was for 12 aircraft, can you confirm or deny that a total of 25 Hawk 75Ns were operated by the Thais? I've not been able to nail an accurate total figure down.

 

[nuuumannn]

I'm in Pattaya right now and Sunday, my family and I will be hooking up and heading to Jomtien.
I don't know my son's schedule but I might be able to get him to take us to the Royal Thai Air Force museum the following Sunday. If we're lucky, my granddaughter will be able to break us into another locked hall.

Excellent. Are you able to get to U Tapao? There's an outdoor Naval Aviation Museum there, although it's been closed to the public for sometime.

 

[nuuumannn]

Excellent photos and descriptions, Grant!

Thanks for taking us along on your walkabout.

Out of curiousity, are you and Rob in ol' Siam at the same time?

Cheers Dave, no, I'm back home. I was there just before Christmas so I had to suffer the inflatable Christmas trees and Santas that the Thais inexplicably seem to love and decorate anything that remains static for longer than ten minutes with!

 

[nuuumannn]

Thanks for stopping by, guys, back to the Royal Thai Air Force Museum. continuing on Wanchai's evocative paintings of RTAF aircraft, this 12 Sqn F-84G symbolizes the first jet fighter operated by the RTAF, with a total of 31 aircraft, deliveries beginning in 1956.

_ADP9538

Thailand never operated a large number of F-86s, nor were they in service for long, but they were important in the RTAF's development as the force was taught limitations in operating jet aircraft. 25 F-86Fs arrived in 1960 and were retired in the early 1970s.

_ADP9539

It is not commonly known that Thailand was the third largest supplier of ground forces to South Vietnam, aside from South Korea and the United States. Some 40,000 Thai solders fought in the Vietnam War, with 351 killed and 1,358 wounded in action. The RTAF provided C-47s, C-123s and UH-1Hs in support of Thai troops. Here, a UH-1H of 32 Sqn arrives during a troop deployment.

_ADP9540

An RTAF AC-47D in action during the Vietnam War. In 1967, the RTAF converted its own C-47s for the gunship role, fitting some with M134 7.62 mm miniguns, although some were fitted with 50 cal MGs and 20 mm M197 cannon.

_ADP9541

An F-5E Tiger II, the principal RTAF interceptor in the 1970s and 1980s until supplemented by F-16As at the end of the decade. Upgraded F-5Fs by Israel Aircraft Industries, designated F-5TH Tigris remain in service.

_ADP9542

Lastly, an F-16A. Thailand ordered the type at the end of 1987, receiving the first in 1988 and subsequent orders throughout the next 20 years to reach a total of 54 of the type, which includes seven from the Royal Singaporean Air Force.

_ADP9543

Between photographing aircraft I took breaks in the main hall because of the air con units blasting out cool air. Here's the Boeing 100E from above.

_ADP9330

We are back outside in the darkness photographing more aircraft outside. Amid the aircraft parked outside were stalls and so forth, so I didn't photograph them all, plus, the lighting in this area of the museum was not supportive of good photographs, being spots mounted on the walls behind the aircraft. An L-39ZA Albatross.

_ADP9545

CT/4A Airtrainer.

_ADP9546

Cessna T-41 Mescalero, the classic Wun Seven Too.

_ADP9547

T-6G, the most numerous type in RTAF service, with 220 used in total.

_ADP9551

Spitfire FR.XIVe. A total of 29 were acquired second hand from RAF stocks in 1950, although only 24 were restored to airworthiness, replacing the last of the Ki-43 Hayabusa still operating, by that time, very few.

_ADP9553

One of ten Royal Thai Navy Aviation Division ex-Spanish Navy AV-8A Matadors that served aboard HTMS Chakri Naruebet. It was great to see this, I do like me a Harrier. It is worth remembering that despite the AV-8 designation, these were built by Hawker Siddeley, not McDonnell Douglas as is often claimed.

_ADP9555

RTNAD A-7E Corsair II, of which a total of 14 former US Navy airframes were bought, with four TA-7C two-seaters were also bought. I'll elaborate on the A-7 on my next visit to the museum coming up.

_ADP9559

Finally from the museum, the exterior festively lit up. Time for the long train ride back to the hotel and a shower!

_ADP9566

Bright and early in the morning I arose and readied myself for my next day's adventurising. The previous night I had asked the hotel receptionist to help me get to this day's site, the Phra Chulachomklao Fort, as it is located over an hour from Bangkok city by road. My proposed route was to catch the BTS to Pak Nam, then get a river taxi to Phra Samut Chedi wharf and get a taxi from there, but the receptionist said "no". Apparently, being a Saturday, street taxis were not operating, so she suggested hiring a taxi for the day. It would cost me 500 baht, which is only 25 NZ Dolla. I agreed and rose early to get my taxi, waiting for me downstairs after breakfast.

After more than an hour on the road, we arrive at Chulachomklao Fort, which is on Thai navy land, but is open to the public, so the guard at the entrance waved us in. It doesn't get many foreign tourists because the only way of getting there is by car; there is no public transport to the site, except a local bus that stops well short of the site. The centrepiece of the fort, is the monument to King Rama V, or King Chulalongkorn, esteemed Siamese monarch who presided over military and political reform in Siam, which included improving the national defence. This included the construction of two forts on the Chao Phraya River, the other of which we'll see later today. The two guns out front are original naval artillery; US-built Dahlgren muzzle loaded cannon.

_ADP9567

Built in 1884, the fort comprised seven Armstrong BL 6-inch disappearing guns in separate cupolas aligned in a row and protected by a concrete structure built into the ground. A total of ten Armstrong guns mounted on Elswick hydraulic carriages were bought at the same time to equip the two new coastal forts on the river, this one located right at the mouth that flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The disappearing gun, the most modern piece of coastal defence artillery in the mid 19th Century was appropriately called the "Crouching Tiger Gun" by the Siamese. The display boards give a description of how the guns worked.

_ADP9571

Inside the fort, the two sections were separated owing to shells and cordite being stored separately. The small square orifices were for allowing lanterns to illuminate the rooms, owing to the fact there was no lighting within them. Because lanterns were naked flames, these orifices were where they were placed before entry into the rooms, for obvious reasons. The guns were through the archways to the left of the image.

_ADP9573

The interior of an ammunition storage room. Note the thickness of the concrete walls. These did not have doors, enabling swift retrieval of shells during battle.

_ADP9575

Finally for today, the first of seven disappearing guns in its barbette. We'll go into greater detail in the next installment.

_ADP9576

Thanks for watching.

 

[SaparotRob]

Thanks for stopping by, guys, back to the Royal Thai Air Force Museum. continuing on Wanchai's evocative paintings of RTAF aircraft, this 12 Sqn F-84G symbolizes the first jet fighter operated by the RTAF, with a total of 31 aircraft, deliveries beginning in 1956.

View attachment 814512_ADP9538

Thailand never operated a large number of F-86s, nor were they in service for long, but they were important in the RTAF's development as the force was taught limitations in operating jet aircraft. 25 F-86Fs arrived in 1960 and were retired in the early 1970s.

View attachment 814513_ADP9539

It is not commonly known that Thailand was the third largest supplier of ground forces to South Vietnam, aside from South Korea and the United States. Some 40,000 Thai solders fought in the Vietnam War, with 351 killed and 1,358 wounded in action. The RTAF provided C-47s, C-123s and UH-1Hs in support of Thai troops. Here, a UH-1H of 32 Sqn arrives during a troop deployment.

View attachment 814514_ADP9540

An RTAF AC-47D in action during the Vietnam War. In 1967, the RTAF converted its own C-47s for the gunship role, fitting some with M134 7.62 mm miniguns, although some were fitted with 50 cal MGs and 20 mm M197 cannon.

View attachment 814515_ADP9541

An F-5E Tiger II, the principal RTAF interceptor in the 1970s and 1980s until supplemented by F-16As at the end of the decade. Upgraded F-5Fs by Israel Aircraft Industries, designated F-5TH Tigris remain in service.

View attachment 814516_ADP9542

Lastly, an F-16A. Thailand ordered the type at the end of 1987, receiving the first in 1988 and subsequent orders throughout the next 20 years to reach a total of 54 of the type, which includes seven from the Royal Singaporean Air Force.

View attachment 814517_ADP9543

Between photographing aircraft I took breaks in the main hall because of the air con units blasting out cool air. Here's the Boeing 100E from above.

View attachment 814518_ADP9330

We are back outside in the darkness photographing more aircraft outside. Amid the aircraft parked outside were stalls and so forth, so I didn't photograph them all, plus, the lighting in this area of the museum was not supportive of good photographs, being spots mounted on the walls behind the aircraft. An L-39ZA Albatross.

View attachment 814519_ADP9545

CT/4A Airtrainer.

View attachment 814520_ADP9546

Cessna T-41 Mescalero, the classic Wun Seven Too.

View attachment 814521_ADP9547

T-6G, the most numerous type in RTAF service, with 220 used in total.

View attachment 814522_ADP9551

Spitfire FR.XIVe. A total of 29 were acquired second hand from RAF stocks in 1950, although only 24 were restored to airworthiness, replacing the last of the Ki-43 Hayabusa still operating, by that time, very few.

View attachment 814523_ADP9553

One of ten Royal Thai Navy Aviation Division ex-Spanish Navy AV-8A Matadors that served aboard HTMS Chakri Naruebet. It was great to see this, I do like me a Harrier. It is worth remembering that despite the AV-8 designation, these were built by Hawker Siddeley, not McDonnell Douglas as is often claimed.

View attachment 814524_ADP9555

RTNAD A-7E Corsair II, of which a total of 14 former US Navy airframes were bought, with four TA-7C two-seaters were also bought. I'll elaborate on the A-7 on my next visit to the museum coming up.

View attachment 814525_ADP9559

Finally from the museum, the exterior festively lit up. Time for the long train ride back to the hotel and a shower!

View attachment 814526_ADP9566

Bright and early in the morning I arose and readied myself for my next day's adventurising. The previous night I had asked the hotel receptionist to help me get to this day's site, the Phra Chulachomklao Fort, as it is located over an hour from Bangkok city by road. My proposed route was to catch the BTS to Pak Nam, then get a river taxi to Phra Samut Chedi wharf and get a taxi from there, but the receptionist said "no". Apparently, being a Saturday, street taxis were not operating, so she suggested hiring a taxi for the day. It would cost me 500 baht, which is only 25 NZ Dolla. I agreed and rose early to get my taxi, waiting for me downstairs after breakfast.

After more than an hour on the road, we arrive at Chulachomklao Fort, which is on Thai navy land, but is open to the public, so the guard at the entrance waved us in. It doesn't get many foreign tourists because the only way of getting there is by car; there is no public transport to the site, except a local bus that stops well short of the site. The centrepiece of the fort, is the monument to King Rama V, or King Chulalongkorn, esteemed Siamese monarch who presided over military and political reform in Siam, which included improving the national defence. This included the construction of two forts on the Chao Phraya River, the other of which we'll see later today. The two guns out front are original naval artillery; US-built Dahlgren muzzle loaded cannon.

View attachment 814527_ADP9567

Built in 1884, the fort comprised seven Armstrong BL 6-inch disappearing guns in separate cupolas aligned in a row and protected by a concrete structure built into the ground. A total of ten Armstrong guns mounted on Elswick hydraulic carriages were bought at the same time to equip the two new coastal forts on the river, this one located right at the mouth that flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The disappearing gun, the most modern piece of coastal defence artillery in the mid 19th Century was appropriately called the "Crouching Tiger Gun" by the Siamese. The display boards give a description of how the guns worked.

View attachment 814528_ADP9571

Inside the fort, the two sections were separated owing to shells and cordite being stored separately. The small square orifices were for allowing lanters to illuminate the rooms, owing to the fact there was no lighting within them. Because lanterns were naked flames, these orifices were where they were placed before entry into the rooms, for obvious reasons. The guns were through the archways to the left of the image.

View attachment 814529_ADP9573

The interior of an ammunition storage room. Note the thickness of the concrete walls. These did not have doors, enabling swift retrieval of shells during battle.

View attachment 814530_ADP9575

Finally for today, the first of seven disappearing guns in is turret. We'll go into greater detail in the next installment.

View attachment 814531_ADP9576

Thanks for watching.

Very informative and a hoot to boot!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Excellent, thank you Geoff. While the initial order was for 12 aircraft, can you confirm or deny that a total of 25 Hawk 75Ns were operated by the Thais? I've not been able to nail an accurate total figure down.

According to Curtiss only 12 H-75N,

3 Y1P-36 USA
177 P-36A USA
1 P-36B USA
31 P-36C USA
30 Hawk H-75O Argentina
30 Hawk H-75M China
12 Hawk H-75N Siam
1 Hawk H-75Q China
1 Hawk H-75R Curtiss
100 Hawk H-75A-1 France
100 Hawk H-75A-2 France
135 Hawk H-75A-3 France
285 Hawk H-75A-4 France/Britain
1 Hawk H-75A-5 China
24 Hawk H-75A-6 Norway
20 Hawk H-75A-7 Holland
18 Hawk H-75A-8 Norway
10 Hawk H-75A-9 Persia
18 P-36G/Hawk H-75A-8 Norway/Peru