Having driven many 1000's of km around Thailand, I have been to and passed many different and interesting places. One thing that has intrigued me is that out in the middle of nowhere on the roadside you can come across a redundant Boeing 747 or three along with various other aircraft.

I am not including the military aircraft you see outside the Air Force bases.

 

Aircraft I have personally seen:

 

There is a white Boeing 747 in Ubon (outside a University?).  

Two planes (Boeing 747 + ?) that have seen better days off Ramkhemhaeng in Bangkok.

A red Boeing 747 on the side of Route 346 (Banglen I think the place was called).

Unknown aircraft type on the side of Mittahparp between Chockchai Farms and Saraburi.

Old Nok Air propeller plane (ATR?) in the middle of nowhere just off the Asia Highway north of Prachuap Khiri Khan.

 

I vaguely remember seeing another plane on the roadside heading towards Chonburi, but that was a long time ago. 

 

Has anyone seen any others around?

 

The pics below are of the Boeing 747 on Route 346 taken yesterday 

Edited October 22, 20187 yr by South

leftover 747 at udon thani airport

 

a plane on Koh Kred, the island in Chao Praya just north of Bangkok

 

some planes, viet nam war leftovers I think, at Wat Hua Krabue in SW Bangkok

 

 

10 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

leftover 747 at udon thani airport

 

a plane on Koh Kred, the island in Chao Praya just north of Bangkok

 

some planes, viet nam war leftovers I think, at Wat Hua Krabue in SW Bangkok

 

 

First 747 flew in 1969, Vietnam War ended 1975. So these planes were less than 6 years old when dumped?

1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

First 747 flew in 1969, Vietnam War ended 1975. So these planes were less than 6 years old when dumped?

I didn't say they were 747s, the one in udon thani is, the others are not

 

Nok Air will have them back in service next week. 

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What's with the airplanes just left on the side of the road?

7-Eleven plastic bags, styrofoam boxes, airplanes...

I wonder what old planes cost. One of those would make a wonderful home. 

Perhaps something smaller than 747 thought. 

32 minutes ago, oilinki said:

I wonder what old planes cost. One of those would make a wonderful home. 

Perhaps something smaller than 747 thought. 

Been done several times.

http://www.icepop.com/airplane-home/

Same one - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/airplane-home-in-the-woods

https://www.complex.com/style/2014/06/20-awesome-converted-airplanes/



 

They are all over Thailand, Korat has one too, big dreams to open restaurant or bar , but they never open them , just dreamers

how did they get there?
they don't do short runway landings real good, so i believe.

There are a couple at the newly opened Terminal 21 in Pattaya.

 

Thats a funny name for a Shopping Center. After the 2 Airports in BKK the last thing a Tourist needs is a Reminder. Why not call it Immigration CM and scare everyone away.

The one in Nakhon Pathom, on 346, I had heard they had plans to turn it into a restaurant or hotel.  Nothing every happened to it though.  There was a video of it being moved from Bangkok to there.

 

Here is an article about one in Chai nat:

https://onemileatatime.com/thai-airways-747-kept-in-backyard/

Airplane Park outside Korat City centre.

Nice park, Plane is the attraction. Good coffee shop.

Talk of converting the plane into a themed restaurant.

In-laws neighbour has a DC3 in the garden, apparently belongs to a farang who bought it to go at his restaurant, it's been there >14 years, he's still paying rent to store it.

 

Here 14.440381, 100.710272, sadly I can't find any trace of registration letters and the doors are padlocked so no access to check the hull number (should be on the engineers panel).

 

Thais are quite adept at welding 2 (or more) cars together and putting at least one of the combinations back on the road, so it does seem odd that they've not managed the same feat with aircraft.

Perhaps they gave up after trying to weld the front of a 747 onto the back half of a Dakota. 

5 hours ago, wgdanson said:

First 747 flew in 1969, Vietnam War ended 1975. So these planes were less than 6 years old when dumped?

 

We were at Changi airport (nothing like it looks today), a stop over en route from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh city (Ton Son Naut airport) to start our conscription service, I don't recall the type of plane we were on, it was a QANTAS charter, it was 1969.

 

Airport staff came around and quickly told everybody on the tarmac to go inside the building and to move at least 10 metres (guessing, it's a long time ago) inside from the glass. Then a number of pilot crews from other aircraft already on the ground appeared and mingled with the crowd inside the terminal building and explained that in a few minutes the first jumbo jet ever would land at Changi and most of them shared that it would be the first time they had ever seen a jumbo jet.

 

It landed and taxied up to the terminal buildings, stairs went up and many many people disembarked. The pilots, and everybody, already inside the terminal were awed by the size and they were discussing the specifications of the aircraft and they were in amazement.

 

Then one of these guys said 'it's so big and so heavy, just amazing they can get it off the ground'.

 

 

2 hours ago, johng said:

There are a couple at the newly opened Terminal 21 in Pattaya.

 

  you found MH 370

1 minute ago, atyclb said:

  you found MH 370

Doesn't a 'naked' aeroplane look ugly?

19 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

We were at Changi airport (nothing like it looks today), a stop over en route from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh city (Ton Son Naut airport) to start our conscription service, I don't recall the type of plane we were on, it was a QANTAS charter, it was 1969.

 

Airport staff came around and quickly told everybody on the tarmac to go inside the building and to move at least 10 metres (guessing, it's a long time ago) inside from the glass. Then a number of pilot crews from other aircraft already on the ground appeared and mingled with the crowd inside the terminal building and explained that in a few minutes the first jumbo jet ever would land at Changi and most of them shared that it would be the first time they had ever seen a jumbo jet.

 

It landed and taxied up to the terminal buildings, stairs went up and many many people disembarked. The pilots, and everybody, already inside the terminal were awed by the size and they were discussing the specifications of the aircraft and they were in amazement.

 

Then one of these guys said 'it's so big and so heavy, just amazing they can get it off the ground'.

 

 

You were on the good old QANTAS Boeing 707 and there is still one flying today and it is painted in its original colours and it is or was owned by the actor John Travolta and the reason I say "was" is that I think he donated it to the Air Museum in Australia, but I am not sure of that

There used to be two at Phitsanulok airport but the last time there was only one, not sure if being renovated.

Apart from that a local up here was trying to sell us some land and he had half a plane in his front yard. a retired plane engineer. You can see it as you drive past on Highway 21.

These are all “Grab” airplanes that are not allowed to land/take off from the airports due to protests by pilots who are part time tuk tuk drivers!

On the Asia Highway north of Ayutthaya

may be it is for sale ?? 

I would definately not mind to have a quickie or a soapy in a refurbished 747, inside the cock...pit !

Edited October 22, 20187 yr by observer90210

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

In-laws neighbour has a DC3 in the garden, apparently belongs to a farang who bought it to go at his restaurant, it's been there >14 years, he's still paying rent to store it.

 

Here 14.440381, 100.710272, sadly I can't find any trace of registration letters and the doors are padlocked so no access to check the hull number (should be on the engineers panel).

 

looks a C47 version... so one might say he was caught with his DAKs down...

First went into passenger service with a Commercial line in 1970 in the States. Cant remember what Airline.

The one at airport may be used for training. Check out the pictures of airplane graveyard in California and Arizona USA. 1,000+

Just a note on the photos above of the plane boneyards and the one in Tuscon in particular.

 

The Davis Monthan Air Force Base has the boneyard there and adjacent to the base is the superb Pima Air Force Museum which has an amazing collection of aircraft. A real must if you like aircraft and a huge and varied range. 

They have a nice cafetaria there so you can spend the day but don't forget Tuscon get pretty hot in the afternoon.

Do the trolley tour of the planes when you first get there and then you can wander around anywhere and inspect any of the countless planes outside and there are 5? huge hangars of planes and stuff as well.

 

You can arrange your tickets to tour the boneyard through the Pima Museum

 

WARNING!!  For security they have introduced a new rule. Non US Citizens have to register at least 10 days before the fate they want for security checks. I am not sure whether it applies to US citizens or not.

We were disappointed and will now have to go back next year.

 

Check on the Pima Air Museum website for accurate info.

One reason some aircraft (at least those on the edges of airports) is because of debts. If an owner goes bankrupt, the plane is not allowed to leave unless the debts are paid. Parking fees quickly mount up, and older planes get left in limbo - the airport wants the parking fees, so you have to pay them before a plane leaves/get broken up but it is no longer worth the fees!. And in Thailand, debts stay on the balance sheet secured by that scrap, or derelict house ..... never written off.