PART 1 : ROYAL THAI ARMY OPEN HOUSE

Earlier this month I was brought to an unexpected preview visit of the Royal Thai Army Open house right in the heart of Bangkok. Here's a selection of the photos....



1. View from outside the Royal Thai Army Headquarters in Bangkok.

I was searching for the air elements....Can't miss the Chinook CH-47D....... and a Bell 412 only. A little bit disappointed as I was told that they had Cobras and Blackhawks last year.



2.


3.


4.


5.


Scale aircraft modellers may want to note that 1/72nd and 1/48th scale decals for this markings exists :-)

6. Next hightlight is the Bell 412 in the foreground.


7. Close-up of nose


8. ...the twin engines


9. 3/4 front


10. ... and the mandatory side profile.

From here on, I need help with the captions as this isn't exactly my area of interest. Please PM me for corrections and updates :-).

What followed was a walkaround the place which was still being prepared for the Open House the next day. The surprise was that virtually all the military equipment was not at designated place, hence there was a furry of re-position by APCs, tanks and the like. Free show - better than actual day I think!

11. Hummer with mini Thai flag


12. Hummer at rest


13. Hummer head on


14. M113


15. M113


16. M113 Mortar variant


17. M113

18.


19.


20. RTA REVA 4×4


21. RTA REVA 4×4


22. BV206

23. Scorpion


24. M41


25. M41


26. M41


27. M41


28.


29. M41

24-27 and 29 are either M48 or M60 Pattons. I'm not sure how to differentiate the two, but I think they are M60s though.

17 is a Type 85 APC.

Looks like there aren't any Stingrays. I always thought those were very pretty vehicles.

Those are old M41 Walker Bulldogs -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M41_Walker_Bulldog

Oh yea! My bad. 24-27 and 29 are M41s.

I saw the turret bustle and thought of M60/48 immediately. Forgot that RTA had Bulldogs.

16 is a mortar variant M113

M60s are a lot more bigger, and their tracks are wider and different (one track is actually two placed side by side), also the M60 chassis has a massive engine exhaust block at the back...

btw a BX driver in my BN got caught by the RSM driving with the helmet chinstrap off and was charged with 6 weeks SOL, I can't imagine what that RSM would want to do to the guy in 25 :ph43r:

Spotter,

Nice photos. :D

20 and 21 is RTA REVA 4×4.

Great scoop Spotter. Those m-41s are great for mounting coups:)

Re the chinooks, years back i heard that was talk abt RSAF buying some from RTAF, anyone can confirm?

22. looks like a BV206, I don't think its from STE. It even stills appears to be in Swedish splinter camouflage.

now that you mention it, our BV206 all have outward bending bars from the roof of the front cab to the 'bonnet'...

That is certainly a Bv206 than a Bronco. Afterall, the Bronco only customers are Singapore and the UK, right???

Thank you guys for the corrections and inputs.

IAF: Yes, the M41s were featured prominently during the last coup. Apparently these were from units assigned for the defence of Bangkok.....how ironic. It was an experience to see and smell them moving around at close range.

Thanks Spotter for sharing.. :D

The Bronco are heavily armoured and have a much longer snout, whereas the Bv206 looks like it has its face smashed. Can't confuse the two once you see their pix side by side.

i remembered this too. report was something like 6 chinooks from the RTAF or something like that.

can check with weasel. he has the chasis number for the chooks i think.

well, Janes reported that a regional army here has Broncos too and its thought to be RTA :ph43r:

I hope this isn't too late: Spotter, very nice pics, thanks! :D

if it's true I would bet on the Brunei Army.

Speaking about M41s, seeing and smelling them at close range.
I had a rather rude awakening about tanks, when a Taiwanese army M41 pulled up close to our tonner, with a platoon of guys sleeping in it, and lets loose a live round from its main gun. Nobody said anything about a live firing target practice going on, and none of us had seen a tank fire before.

how i miss being behind the SM1 during a live firing! B)

That's ROC for you. TSR is almost non-existent :D

I remember being awoken by the hi decibel menacing buzz of cannon fire from a RoCAF f-5 .. my tonner was parked next to a live firing range. But that one definitely cannot compare to a tank letting loose next to you lol

to be honest only the SAF is this high strung about TSR and ammo control.

when I was in Ratchaburi for Engineers Commander's Course, the Thais drives the 2½ tonners for us. we have the unusual sight of a fresh faced kiddo LCP in command of a vehicle driven by big rugged MSG :D

now one day this thai MSG gestured to the vehicle commander to borrow his M16, whereby he fished out a round and loaded it into the M16 chamber, took aim at a bush and fired! apparently the MSG was trying to shoot something for his lunch. we never found out what it was since he missed :lol: :lol: :lol:

If our army is not a citizen army, I would believe that SAF wouldn't give an arse to TSR too. :lol:

Where's the RTAF Gripen. :P

Mfg # Sg #
M-4511 180
M-4512 181
M-4513 182
M-4514 183
M-4515 186
M-4516 188
M-4131 189
M-4132 190
M-4133 191
M-4134 192
M-4135 193
M-4136 194
M-4137 195
M-4138 196
M-4139 197
M-4140 198

I have 16 from Boeing 6 + 6 + 4 . any1 have other than these? let see if bro Weasel have some more for us from Thailand

I had read earlier in some mags that the RSAF was proposing to swap the then just-retired Hueys for the Thai Chinooks given that the latter Chinooks were rarely flown and the Thais prefer the Hueys too. So it looks both sides win.

However there was no further follow-up reports of this swap and think it did not materialised further than just the intent. :ph43r:

Think the RTAF Gripens are still in Sweden undergoing flight tests.

Recently saw a pic where a RTAF Gripen flew in formation with the 1st completed RTAF SAAB 340 AEW. As the latter confirmed is in Sweden, think can deduced the Gripens are still in Sweden.

this one

Yep! This is the one picture I was referring to.

Thank you :D

The delivery is slated for 2011 (don't know which month). So most likely can only look forward to a public display in RTAF 2012 Open House.

The clincher would be F-15SGs in formation with RTAF Gripens in Ex Cope Tiger

PART II - ROYAL THAI NAVY OPEN HOUSE @ U-tapao Airfield

U-Tapao is close to Pattaya and is approx a 2.5 hour drive from BKK.
This year proved to exceptional - an almost complete turnout of the Royal Thai Navy aircraft types - save for the S-76.

The main entrance


The crowd...oh yes, umbrellas at airshows...also taking cover under aircraft too.


Plenty of stalls doing a roaring trade...including model kits.


It's a big event!


Balloons annoucing the opening of the Open House.


On a vantage point overlooking the apron. See the families reserving pinic space under the Harrier? Damn, its only about 8.30 am and they have beaten me to it :-)

I wonder the Harriers are still flying??

First stop: the "dormant" aircraft, which was one of the main objectives.

A-7E (104 Squadron)
For sure the A-7 is not in a flyable condition. However they are towed out every year for the Open House. I hope to see the TA-7C one day.

N1


N2


N3


N4


N5. The SLUF looking good!


N6. The A-7 is popular as it provides lots of shade...


N7.

AV-8S (301 Squadron)
This squadron operated from the Thai carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet. The lack of funds led to a grounding of the fleet of Harriers but I was told that one TAV-8C is kept in a "close to flyable condition".

N8. Having gotten a dark grey Harrier at the last visit, I was most happy to see this scheme.


N9.


N10.


N11. Yes, see through - no engine. Note the Thai visitors who will rest underneath the aircraft........it's the same at the RTAF Open house...


N12.


N13.


N14.

DO-228-212 (101 Squadron)

N15


N16


N17


N18


N19


N20


N21

P-3T (102 Sqn)

Cessna 337 (103 Sqn)