I can see the muslim fundamentilist revised shopping list now;

1 x job lot helium balloons, 1 x pack razor blades, 1 x pack of large pins, 1 x roll of sellotape...

Seriously, these airships cannot fly in high winds and are grounded in weather other types of aircraft can easily cope with.

I can see a windy day being added to morning prayers as soon as this blimp becomes operational...???

What use is a survelience platform that will be grounded by the weather???

Even Richard Branston wouldn't go up in this one...

Come on that is a wonderful technology! Our Kaiser was very proud of them. Just a little bit outdated.

Maybe next Thai Airways buy the Hindenburg?

Good for Taksin...put a screen up there and do live broadcast to his dedicated fans.

In the south?

Is it just me? Or Thaivisa is full of military experts

It's all the ex-special forces who prop up the bars in Pattaya telling everyone about it

Somchai falls asleep at the controls and the Blimp goes where?

The actual story in the print version of the 'Nation' paper, (hardly a newspaper !!) was saying it will be equipped with infer red and other gizmo's that will help it work at night and and through cloud. Not sure if America has released that gear though.

I have no idea how effective it will be, but it is reported to be a night work horse too. May be there is some method in the madness, I wouldn't like it to lock onto me if I was running and hiding if the cameras are s good as people say.

I have often wondered why they have not cleared a 500m wide and fenced and patrol the border? Would be a good Gov work project I would think.

Just curious, is the border very mountainous down there?

anyway, mai pen rai ........ Up to the Thais of course, I am sure they have put alot more thought into it than me.

Ahh, that explains it.

The new shipment of " bag of <deleted>" weapons for the airship were delivered to the wrong address.

Or perhaps delivered from a "dummy run" of the airship , guess who the dummy is

More pics of the RTA's version and information (in Thai) here:

http://www.oknation.net/blog/singslatan/2009/12/21/entry-1

I think it is a great idea if properly equipped. It flies high enough to be out of range as far as gunfire and as mentioned, missiles are not really a problem, not that the insurgents have any anyways.

The eye in the sky could help catch the lunatic ambushers as well as the bombers. In my opinion it is a much better idea than aircraft carriers and submarines.