Nereus wrote:Very interesting, Pete. What an amazing effort and expense that must have been put into U-Tapao Air Base. It was truly a self contained city with every conceivable facility, plus some others not mentioned!
Is that a U-2 I see sneaking off there in a couple of photo`s?
The second link also interests me as it has some reference to the base at Ubon. I have read somewhere that there is very little of it remaining now.
My late Thai wife was there as a young girl, as her Mother had some type of restaurant, either on the Base, or just outside, I cannot remember now.
Thanks Pete.
Yes, U-2's were based there. We were also visited by SR-71's from time to time but only when they had problems and couldn't get back to Okinawa or Japan. That bird still holds the speed record and it's top speed is still classified even though they have all been retired, except one which I think NASA uses. A site to see when it takes off, 45 degrees then gone like a UFO, no joking. They took off with fuel tanks almost empty and got refueled immediately at altitide by a KC-135.
Yes, again. Ubon as well as NKP further north have lost all or most military significance to the Thai's now. They are now nothing but small commercial airports with a few 'ghost' buildings scattered about that make visitors scratch their heads wondering what they were.
By browsing those two sites, you guys now know more about that era here than the vast majority of Thai's under the age of 45, as they have never taught it in school, or even talked about it in detail. In essence "we weren't here and we didn't build anything". LOL. Pete
