The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (Thai: กองทัพอากาศไทย; RTGS: Kong Thap Akat Thai) is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the Vietnam War era, the RTAF was supplied with USAF-aid equipment.

Quick Facts Founded, Country ...

Royal Thai Air Force
กองทัพอากาศไทย Kong Thap Akat Thai
Badge of the Royal Thai Air Force
Founded	2 November 1913; 110 years ago (1913-11-02)
Country	Thailand
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare Anti-aircraft warfare
Size	46,000 active personnel[1] 469 Aircraft
Part of	Royal Thai Armed Forces
Headquarters	Don Muang Air Base, Bangkok
Nickname(s)	"ทอ." "Thor Or" Abbreviation of Air Force "ทัพฟ้า" "Thap Fah" Sky Army
Motto(s)	น่านฟ้าไทย จะมิให้ใครมาย่ำยี "The Thai airspace, none shall ever invade"
Colours	Blue
March	Thai: มาร์ชกองทัพอากาศ "Royal Thai Air Force March"
Anniversaries	9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
Engagements	World War I European theatre Western Front Hundred Days Offensive Meuse–Argonne offensive Interwar period Boworadet Rebellion World War II Franco-Thai War Pacific War Japanese invasion of Thailand Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan Malayan campaign Burma campaign Japanese invasion of Burma Burma campaign (1942–1943) Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan Burma campaign (1944) Burma campaign (1944–1945) South-East Asian Theatre Bombing of Bangkok Cold War Cold War in Asia Decolonisation of Asia Korean War Malayan Emergency Indochina Wars Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Communist insurgency in Thailand Communist insurgency in Malaysia Third Indochina War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Vietnamese border raids in Thailand Thai–Laotian Border War Persian Gulf War 1999 East Timorese crisis International Force East Timor War on drugs Internal conflict in Myanmar Operation Border Post 9631 2010–2012 Myanmar border clashes Global War on Terrorism Operation Enduring Freedom Iraq War OEF - Afghanistan OEF - Horn of Africa 2003 Phnom Penh riots Operation Pochentong Southern Insurgency Cambodian–Thai border dispute United Nations peacekeeping UNIKOM ONUB UNTAET UNAMID UNAMA UNMIS FCU UNTAC Battle of Marawi 2023 Sudan conflict Battle of Khartoum (2023) Evacuation from Sudan (2023)
Website	rtaf.mi.th
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Flag
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	Saab 340 AEW&C
Fighter	JAS-39C/D, F-16, F-5, Alpha Jet
Helicopter	S-70i, Bell 412, S-92, EC725
Reconnaissance	Saab 340B, DA42 MPP, P.180 Avanti
Trainer	CT/4, T-41D, PC-9, DA42, T-50TH, T-6TH
Transport	C-130, BT-67, ATR-72, Boeing 737, A320, A340, SSJ-100-95LR

Close

A French pilot performed a flying demonstration over Bangkok in January 1911, greatly impressing Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, brother of King Vajiravudh, and he even accepted an invitation for a flight. Chakrabongse sent three army officers to France, who began flight training at Vélizy-Villacoublay in July 1912. The officers became qualified aviators a year later. In late 1913, the three new aviators returned home after arranging for the purchase of four Nieuport monoplanes and a Bréguet biplane. The aviation section put on a demonstration in January 1914, gaining the support of the King and a permanent aviation group was established and an air base at Don Muang was assigned, as the Royal Aeronautical Service, under Army control.^[2][3]

Siam entered World War I with the Allies in July 1917, and a Siamese Expeditionary Force of around 1,200 men was sent to France, arriving in June 1918. Among them were 370 pilots and groundcrew, including more than 100 officers who were sent to flight school first at Istres and Avord, and then at Istres, Le Crotoy, La Chapelle-la-Reine, Biscarosse and Piox. Eventually, The 95 pilots who qualified as military aviators flew a few operational sorties in the closing weeks of the war but suffered no casualties, nor scored any kills. Their training did mean that Siam entered the post-World War I period with one of the best equipped and trained air forces in Asia.^[4][5]

In the 1930s the Royal Aeronautical Service began to replace French aircraft with American designs, purchasing more than 95 aircraft, including the Boeing P-12E, Curtiss Hawks, and Vought Corsairs. The air force was formally separated into its own branch, the Royal Siamese Air Force, in April 1937 and five operational wings were established. In 1939, when Siam became Thailand, the service was renamed the Royal Thai Air Force.^[3] At the end of 1940, the RTAF once again saw combat, this time in the Franco-Thai War, a border conflict against French Indochina. The RTAF operated in the Mekong Delta, attacking ground forces and gunboats and defending against French bombing raids, until a ceasefire was arranged in January 1941. Later that year, on 7 December, Thailand was invaded by Japan. The RTAF took an active role in the resistance. Combat Wings 1 and 5 engaged significantly more advanced Japanese aircraft over Thailand's eastern border, but suffered heavy losses, including almost 30 percent of Wing 5, before a cease-fire took effect the following day.^[6]

The Air Force is commanded by the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force (ผู้บัญชาการทหารอากาศไทย). The Royal Thai Air Force Headquarters is located in Don Muang Airbase, Bangkok, Thailand.

The RTAF consists of headquarters and five groups: command, combat, support, education and training, and special services.^[7]

Combat Group

The Royal Thai Air Force Combat Group is divided into 11 wings plus a training school, plus a few direct-reporting units.^[7]

Wing	Role	Province	Base	Notes
Directorate of Air Operations Control
Security Force Command
Space Operation Center
Royal Thai Air Force Academy	Training
Flying Training School	Training	Nakhon Pathom	Kamphang Saen	Composed of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Flying Training Squadrons
Wing 1	Interceptor/fighter	Nakhon Ratchasima	Korat
Wing 2	Helicopter transport/SAR	Lopburi	Khok Kathiam
Wing 3	Unmanned aerial vehicle	Sa Kaeo	Watthana Nakhon
Wing 4	Light attack/interceptor	Nakhon Sawan	Takhli
Wing 5	Transport/special mission	Prachuap Khiri Khan	Prachuap Khiri Khan
Wing 6	Non-combat multi-role	Bangkok	Don Muang	Provides transport, mapping, communications, surveying
Wing 7	Interceptor/fighter	Surat Thani	Surat Thani	Nicknamed "Ferocious Shark of the Andaman" and "House of Gripen" as they fly Gripen aircraft.[8][9]
Wing 21	Interceptor	Ubon Ratchathani	Ubon Ratchathani
Wing 23	Attack	Udon Thani	Udon
Wing 41	Light attack	Chiang Mai	Chiang Mai
Wing 46	Transport/rainmaking	Phitsanulok	Phitsanulok
Wing 56	Forward operating base	Songkhla	Hat Yai

Squadrons

The following squadrons are currently active with the Royal Thai Air Force.^[7]

Squadron	Equipment	Wing	RTAF Base	Notes
101st Fighter Squadron	-	Wing 1	Korat
102nd Fighter Squadron	F16A/B Block 15 ADF	Wing 1	Korat
103rd Fighter Squadron	F-16A/B Block 15 OCU	Wing 1	Korat
201 Helicopter Squadron	S-70i, S-92	Wing 2	Khok Ka Thiam	Former Royal Guard
202 Helicopter Squadron	Bell 412/SP/HP/EP	Wing 2	Khok Ka Thiam
203 Helicopter Squadron	EC 725	Wing 2	Khok Ka Thiam	SAR detachments at many locations. UH-1H replaced by EC 725[10]
301 UAV Squadron	Aerostar BP, RTAF U-1	Wing 3	Watthana Nakhon
302 UAV Squadron	Aerostar BP, RTAF U-1	Wing 3	Watthana Nakhon
303 UAV Squadron	Aerostar BP, RTAF U-1	Wing 3	Watthana Nakhon
401 Light Attack Squadron	T-50TH	Wing 4	Takhli
402 Elint Reconnaissance Squadron	P.180 Avanti	Wing 4	Takhli
403 Fighter Squadron	F-16AM/BM Block 20 MLU	Wing 4	Takhli
501 Light Attack Squadron	Fairchild AU-23	Wing 5	Prachuap Khiri Khan
601 Transport Squadron	C-130H/H-30	Wing 6	Don Muang
602 Royal Flight Squadron	A319CJ, A320CJ, A340-500	Wing 6	Don Muang	Former Royal Guard
603 Transport Squadron	ATR72-600, SSJ100-95LR	Wing 6	Don Muang
604 Civil Pilot Training Squadron	PAC CT-4A, T-41D, Diamond DA42	Wing 6	Don Muang
Dechochai 3 Flight Unit	B737-400, B737-800	Wing 6	Don Muang	Royal Flight Unit
701 Fighter Squadron	JAS-39 C/D	Wing 7	Surat Thani	Total 12 Gripens delivered (4 Gripen D and 8 Gripen C),[11] replacing F-5E/F.[12][13]
702 Air Control Squadron	Saab 340, S-100B Argus	Wing 7	Surat Thani	Saab 340 70201 and S-100B Argus AEW 70202[14]
211 Fighter Squadron	F-5TH Super Tigris	Wing 21	Ubon
231 Attack Squadron	Alpha Jet A	Wing 23	Udorn
411 Fighter Squadron		Wing 41	Chiang Mai	To be replaced by AT-6TH[15]
461 Transport Squadron	Basler BT-67	Wing 46	Phitsanulok	Also conducts rainmaking flights.
561 Fighter Squadron	-	Wing 56	Hat Yai	Forward operating base for 701 Fighter Sqn.
904 Aggressor Squadron	F-5E	-	Don Muang	Former unit of King Vajiralongkorn Mahidol.
1st Flying Training Squadron	PAC CT/4E	Flying Training School	Kamphang Saen	Primary flight training.
2nd Flying Training Squadron	Pilatus PC-9M	Flying Training School	Kamphang Saen	Basic flight training.
3rd Flying Training Squadron	Eurocopter EC135T3H	Flying Training School	Kamphang Saen	Helicopter training.

Don Muang

Korat

Takhli

Ubon

Udorn

Hat Yai

Surat Thani

Chiang Mai

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Phitsanulok

Kamphang Saen

Khok Ka Thiem

Air bases of the Royal Thai Air Force

The Royal Thai Air Force maintains a number of modern bases which were constructed between 1954 and 1968, have permanent buildings and ground support equipment.

All but one were built and used by United States forces until their withdrawal from Thailand in 1976 when the RTAF took over the installations at Takhli and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). In the late 1980s, these bases and Don Muang Air Base outside Bangkok, which the air force shares with civil aviation, remain the primary operational installations.

Maintenance of base facilities abandoned by the United States (Ubon, Udorn) proved costly and exceeded Thai needs; they were turned over to the Department of Civil Aviation for civil use. Nonetheless, all runways were still available for training and emergency use.

By 2004 the Royal Thai Air Force had its main base at Don Muang airport, adjacent to Don Mueang International Airport. The RTAF also had large air fields and facilities at Nakon Ratchasima Ubon Ratchathani, and Takhli.

RTAF budgets are shown below by fiscal year (FY):^[26]

• Royal Thai Air Force Museum
• Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters
• Military of Thailand
• Royal Thai Army
• Royal Thai Navy
• Royal Thai Police
• Napa-1