Jump to content

Are US forces still based in Udon Thani?


Recommended Posts

Posted

A Thai friend told me last night after the Thai Army took control of the country the US forces left. I know there was tough talk etc but didn't think it happened.

Posted

What US forces are you referring to? The U.S. played a part in this year's Cobra Gold exercises but there were and are no U.S. forces stationed here outside, I suppose, of a few at the US embassy.

Posted (edited)

There was a base out side of Udon,when the war was going on,there were no unforms ,it was some kind of top secret radio base ,it was run by the us army

everybody knew it was there but nobody knew what went on there,had a freind who was CID there,there might be some army people still there

can't miss the base as it had a large circle of antenna's and staellite dish's

air amercia was in udon when the war was going on,there were a lot of air america plane's stationed there

I was with air rescure there the last of HH-43's

Edited by happynthailand
Posted

thre is still the voice of america station out ban dung way, father in law pointed out where s0me americans were housed on the kumphawapi road close to the transport office, during the war

Posted

That station is still there. I had a friend who was walking near the gate and he was asked to turn around and go back the way he had come.this was about six years ago

Posted

That station is still there. I had a friend who was walking near the gate and he was asked to turn around and go back the way he had come.this was about six years ago

It is not a US facility.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

A Thai friend told me last night after the Thai Army took control of the country the US forces left. I know there was tough talk etc but didn't think it happened.

Lost in translation I guess whistling.gif

Don't tell a Thai that the US forces had control of the country.

That the US air force had bases in U-Tapao, Khorat and Udon Thani during the Vietnam war does not need to be mentioned?

Maybe legally it were always Royal Thai AFBs, but technically the US air force was operating "freely" to bomb Laos e.g.

So the answer to the question in the topic title is a clear NO.

Long gone.

Edited by KhunBENQ
  • Like 1
Posted

During the Vietnam war Udon was the supply base for the American Air Force that were operating in Laos with Hmong fighting the communists. It was a clandestine operation as Laos was supposedly a 'neutral' country. For a good history of this operation I reccommend a book by Christopher Robbinson called "The Ravens". Ravens was the name given to the American pilots who flew light aircraft (FAC) who directed bombers and jet fighters onto targets.

There was also an American air force base at Ubon from which sorties were flown over the Delta.

  • Like 1
Posted

maybe US forces aren't based here, but do not doubt for one minute that Uncle Sam still has his hands all over this place....Thailand in many ways is an extension of America....just look at the roads...who do you think funded those??

  • Like 2
Posted

I was stationed at the radio facility, Ramasun Station, outside Udon Thani in 1972-1973 as a Chinese linguist in the US Air Force. It wasn't all that secret, just a radio intercept station. We had no helipad or any special forces going out on secret forays or anything like that. Other than VD and bad food, very little danger there. Except that I did once have to jump over a cobra while running the perimeter road. Really.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/boondocks/250864895/

Yep...looks like the same setup we had in Iraklion Crete in 72

Posted

1. As said US forces departed, at the request of Thailand, some 40 years ago. Only exercise/special type joint operations have been conducted since then.

2. There were a number of RTAFB facilities used by US forces, including Udorn (Udon).. But there have always been occasional support and training type flights from many nationals into RTAFB and Navy facilities.

3. As said there was a large Wullenweber antenna facility outside of Udorn thet you passed on train journey to Bangkok.

250864895_39cf2cd45e.jpg

The Wullenweber antenna is a receiving antenna used for direction finding on Short Waves?

Posted

maybe US forces aren't based here, but do not doubt for one minute that Uncle Sam still has his hands all over this place....Thailand in many ways is an extension of America....just look at the roads...who do you think funded those??

Prior to 1975 US AID supplied funding for many of the two lane roads to upcountry areas - but that was long, long ago. Thailand has rebuilt all of them many times over since that period (and greatly improved them). And unfortunately I know from having used them when they were two lane death runs (with humpback bridges blocking all view of oncoming traffic).

  • Like 1
Posted
The Wullenweber antenna is a receiving antenna used for direction finding on Short Waves?

Yes. And was very accurate. Anyone having been through Clark Field in the Philippines probably remember the "elephant cage".

  • Like 2
Posted (edited)
3. As said there was a large Wullenweber antenna facility outside of Udorn thet you passed on train journey to Bangkok.

Very interesting.

Some grass has grown over it biggrin.png but still good to recognize from the satellite:

https://goo.gl/maps/VuP9T

Coordinates found at the WiKi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/FLR-9

17.2917333°N 102.868850°E

Edited by KhunBENQ
Posted

The US doesn't need to have boots on the ground in Thailand, the Thai military is obedient to the US. The CIA are still located at Ramasun, which is also where they tortured the muslim terror suspects during the Extraordinary Renditions & Detentions about 10 or so years ago.

Udon Thani is an important location for the US. With Communist Laos, Vietnam and China nearby.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Topics

  • Latest posts...

    1. 11

      Click on a topic- always goes to the last post

    2. 11

      Click on a topic- always goes to the last post

    3. 2

      Getting Old: Stoic About It or Endless Whinger?

    4. 11

      Click on a topic- always goes to the last post

    5. 12

      Thai worker abandoned in Israel after hospital discharge - video

    6. 6

      Climate Talks in Turmoil Over Fossil Fuel Debate and Financial Commitments

    7. 3

      Car Rental Trap

    8. 12

      Thai worker abandoned in Israel after hospital discharge - video

  • Popular in The Pub


×
×
  • Create New...