Bush Hat

[BarnicaleBob]

Years ago during the Vietnam conflict, the U.S. Air Force troops in Thailand had bush hats. I would like to know if there is any place in the Chiang Mai area that still sells this type of bush hat, can anyone help me?

BB

[greyfriarsbobby]

Could they have been Australian? Suggest you try the "pretend" ex army store on Loi Kroi or ask at the Kangaroo Bar.

[mamborobert]

Its not an Aussie Slouch hat though it was modelled on it

The picture is the same as that used in Vietnam by the US 1st Air Commando Group (as was their name from 1963). When they were initially deployed to Vietnam they were the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron.

They used to have it wth Vietnam as two words VIET-NAM.

It was not the official uniform issued (which were baseball caps with very limited sun protection). They used to get the local Vietnamese to sew the hats up out of anything including old fatigues or disturbed camouglage patterns so for there are literally dozens of different materials, but all usually had the words VIET-NAM and had the clips on both sides unlike the Aussie version which had one side on issue.

I think you would be hard pushed to find an original if thats what you are after. Having said that I would have thought you could get one mocked up at somewhere like the Warrot Markets fairly cheaply. Your farang head may be non standard for some of the Thai surplus stores.

I have seen semi flash new ones (without Thailand or VIET-NAM) on them in some of the shops near the Kawilla barracks (in particular on Kong Sai Road opposite the San Pakoy markets). There is also a place in the markets but that usually sells new stuff as well.

[krakatoa]

If you can find something in CM it will definately be of the "pretend variety"

If you want protection from the solar stuff up there, there only two brands in the world worth putting on your head.

One is the Akubra, which every law enforcement officer, military personal in Australia are issued FOC as part of their kit.

The other one will be familiar to a lessor audience but IanForbes will verify that the Tilley is the only other hat of any value. He (IanForbes) looks to have facial skin like a new borns bottom and with all his exposure to the UV when getting those salmon, not to mention getting the picks (pictures) of the fems must have worn out a few Tilley's in his time.

But then again Ian is not a primate

For either brand you can expect to pay around 100 green ones but it's exactly the same as the egg shell "safety helmets 'sic' sold here in the realm for protecting what grey matter you may have with a Shoei or an Arai. Some people do not need to worry because they really have nothing to protect from the beginining.

A safety helmet is designed to destruct rather than your head and brain matter.

From some of the posters on TV in the past couple of days they have clearly been wearing the 150 Baht variety

The good looking guy that I am in my avatar was when I always wore an AGV

OK the OP wants to look like a viet vet and I have wandered from the 'ho chi minh trail' so I guess that yes "my that ?whatewver? was right. it's gotta be the heat stoke" but then from what I an reading in the past few days some posters seem to be stroking someting else. " go figure"

Edited March 7, 2010 by krakatoa

[Rotweiler]

A GENUINE Tilley bush hat is available online from www.tilley.com. Mine is almost 20 years old and still great! Pricey but IMHO well worth it.

[krakatoa]

A GENUINE Tilley bush hat is available online from www.tilley.com. Mine is almost 20 years old and still great! Pricey but IMHO well worth it.

You've as Clint would say "made my day"

First that someone seems to agree with something that I have said.

Secondly that someone knows what a Tilley is and that it's "not just a kero light that you pump to pressurise"

(and to you orang even though they say it is made from hemp it is not made of marijuana)

10 years in my possession, replacement gauranteed for life and it just lies flat in you bag. Try that with an Akubra and yes you wuold be looking like an orangutang just escaped from Suan Prung.

Edited March 7, 2010 by krakatoa

[greyfriarsbobby]

Thank you "mamborobert" for your erudite response. I withdraw my hidden slight at the OP. may he find what covers his needs best, I hope he is no slouch!

[BarnicaleBob]

Thank you "mamborobert" for your erudite response. I withdraw my hidden slight at the OP. may he find what covers his needs best, I hope he is no slouch!

Well, I don't think I'm a slouch but I guess that is never determined by the slouch himself. I served with 355th at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base from May 1967 to May 1968 and this was the cover we all wore at the time. Somewhere along the way I lost my Thailand bush hat while at my next posting in Japan.

Now that I have retired and moved back to Thailand I am just a bit nostalgic of the old days and have started collecting memorabilia from my first time in country. I know I may not be able to find an oridginal Thailand type bush hat that we wore but they were made in country and I had hope that maybe someone still made them.

BB

[swain]

In the Chinese market area next to the flower marts.... there is a bunch of hat manufactures and resellers.. I picked up two hats one in grey and one in dark grey for 100 baht each same as the picture. Good deal really. They will go down to 90 baht but no lower... I picked two up for my little daughter as well as they have kids sizes too. Sorry I cant be more descriptive about the location but its close to the river.

Edited March 9, 2010 by swain