Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base | |
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Part of Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) | |
Coordinates | 13°54′45″N 100°36′24″E / 13.91250°N 100.60667°E |
Type | Air Force Base |
Site information | |
Owner | Royal Thai Air Force |
Operator | Royal Thai Air Force |
Controlled by | Royal Thai Air Force |
Condition | Military Air Force Base |
Site history | |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Airfield information | |||||||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 9 ft / 3 m | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 13°54′45″N 100°36′24″E / 13.91250°N 100.60667°E | ||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base is approximately 40 kilometres north of central Bangkok and is the main operating and command base for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). In addition, units of the Royal Thai Army and Royal Thai Police have personnel located there.
The first flights to Don Muang were made on 8 March 1914 and involved the transfer of aircraft of the RTAF. Three years earlier, Thailand had sent three army officers to France to train as pilots. On completion of their training in 1911, the pilots were authorized to purchase four Breguets and four Nieuports, which formed the basis of the RTAF.