Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base
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| Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base
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| IATA: TKH - ICAO: VTPI
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Military | ||
| Operator | Royal Thailand Air Force | ||
| Serves | Nakhon Sawan | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 107 ft (33 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 18/36 | 9,850 | 3,000 | Concrete |
Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force facility. It is located in Central Thailand, approximately 144 miles (240 km) northwest of Bangkok in Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan Province, near the city of Nakhon Sawan.
Contents
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[edit] Units
Takhli is the home of the Royal Thai Air Force Wing 4, 3d air division. Squadrons assigned are:
- 401 Light Attack Squadron, flying L-39 Albatross
- 402 Reconnaissance Squadron, flying Lear Jet 35A and IAI201
- 403 Fighter Squadron, flying F-16A/B
[edit] USAF use during the Vietnam War
Takhli was a front-line facility of the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Vietnam War from 1961 through 1975. The USAF forces at Takhli were under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). Takhli was the location for TACAN station Channel 43 and was referenced by that identifier in voice communications during air missions.
The APO for Takhli was APO San Francisco, 96273
[edit] Provisional Units
The initial squadrons and units deployed to Takhli were placed under the command and control of the Thirteenth Air Force, headquartered at Clark AB in the Philippines. Thailand-based aircraft flew missions mostly into Laos until the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which expanded the air war into North Vietnam.
[edit] 6011th Air Base Squadron
The first United States Air Force personnel began arriving at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in early 1961 with a detachment of F-100D "Supersabres" from the 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico to try and restrain the Pathet Lao which were busily overrunning most of northwestern Laos.
The first permanent USAF host unit at Takhli was the 6011th Air Base Squadron, being activated in July 1962, hosting the deployed F-100Ds from the 27th TFW. The 6011th ABS was under the command of the 35th Tactical Group at Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base in Bangkok. During February 1963, the rotational squadrons of F-100's from Cannon was reduced to six aircraft, with the deployments from Cannon ending in March 1964 and the squadrons deploying instead to Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam.
On 11 May 1962, the 510th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 405th Fighter Wing from Clark Air Base, Philippines was deployed to Takhli in response to an increasing threat along the Laotian border. This deployment was named FIELD GLASS. The first recorded combat loss was an F-100D (56-3085), shot down on August 18, 1964 over Laos. The Clark F-100s remained at Takhli until 20 August 1965 on a rotating basis.
[edit] 331st Air Base Squadron
F-105 Thunderchief
In an organizational change, the 331st Air Base Squadron replaced the 6011th ABS at Takhli in July 1963 as the host unit at Takhli. The 331st ABS came under the command and control of 13th Air Force at Clark AB, Philippines. About a year later, the last rotating F-100 squadron departed Takhli, to be replaced by the Republic F-105D "Thunderchief". The F-105D was destined to become a major participant in the war in Vietnam. The F-105D 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed to Takhli from the 8th TFW, Itazuke AB, Japan, May 1964-June 1964, 6 March–4 May 1965 and 26 August–28 October 1965.
The 80th Fighter Squadron (F-105D/F) deployed to Takhli between 27 June–26 August 1965 from the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, Yokota AB, Japan.
KB-50 Tankers
Also in the early 1960s, Tactical Air Command (TAC) fighter-bombers were equipped with hose-and-drogue tankers such as converted KB-50s, whereas boom tankers such as KC-97s and KC-135s had been assigned to Strategic Air Command. In August 1964, Det 1., 421st Air Refueling Squadron was organized at Takhli from Yokota Air Base Japan. The 421st flew the KB-50J.
In order to make TAC's fleet of fighter-bombers capable of using the boom-equipped KC-97 or KC-135 tankers, last few F-105Ds off the production line (production block -31) were given the capability of refuelling from either a flying boom or a hose-drogue type of tanker. This was done by fitting a flush-mounted retractable door-type receptacle in front of the windshield which could accept a flying-boom type of midair-refuelling probe. Some earlier F-105Ds were retrofitted with these receptacles. The 421st stayed at Takhli until 15 January 1965 when it was deactivated. The aerial refueling mission was taken over by a detachment of the 4252d Strategic Wing from Misawa Air Base with KC-135s replacing the KB-50s.
F-104 Starfighters
Fifteen F-104C Starfighters arrived in April 1965, with the 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron from the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB. At Takhli they carried out 2,927 missions of machine-gunning, bombing and escorting strike aircraft, sometimes in North Vietnamese air space, before returning to the United States on 20 November.
[edit] 6441st Tactical Fighter Wing
In May 1965 the 6441st TFW (Provisional) became the host unit at Takhli and the base became a forward deployment location largely for the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing, based at the time at McConnell AFB Kansas. Two squadrons (562d, 563d) from the 23d TFW were deployed to Takhli in April 1965, returning to Kansas on 15 August.
An additional F-105 squadron from McConnell, the 357th TFS, was deployed from the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing on 12 June 1965.
On 8 July 1965 the 6235th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated to replace the 6441st TFW.
[edit] 355th Tactical Fighter Wing
On 8 November 1965 the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing was reassigned to Takhli from McConnell AFB without personnel or equipment as the permanent host unit at the base. The provisional 6235th TFW was de-activated and the equipment and personnel at Takhli were absorbed into the new wing structure. Previously, all of the 355th's squadrons at McConnell had been deployed to various bases in Southeast Asia, two of which were reassigned to Takhli (357th, 354th TFS) and brought back under its control. Squadrons of the 355th were:
- 357th Tactical Fighter: 29 January 1966 - 10 December 1970 F-105D/F/G (Tail Code: RU)
- Reassigned from 6234th TFW, Korat RTAFB.
- 354th Tactical Fighter: 28 November 1965 - 10 December 1970 F-105D/F (Tail Code: RM)
- 333d Tactical Fighter: 8 December 1965 - 15 October 1970 F-105D/F (Tail Code: RK)
- 334th Tactical Fighter: 2 September 1965 - 5 February 1966 F-105D/F)
- Temporarily attached from 4th TFW, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
- Inactivated in place, 5 Feb 1966, aircraft reassigned to 354th TFS.
- 335th Tactical Fighter: 6 November 1965 - 8 December 1965 F-105D/F)
- Temporarily attached from 6441st TFW, Yokota AB, Japan.
- Inactivated in place, 8 Dec 1965, aircraft reassigned to 333d TFS.
- Det. 1, 12th Tactical Fighter: June 1967 - September 1970 F-105G (Tail code: ZB)
- Wild Weasel Squadron from Korat RTAFB.
- 44th Tactical Fighter: 15 October 1969 - 10 December 1970 F-105D/F (Tail code: RE)
- Wild Weasel Squadron reassigned from Korat RTAFB.
- 41st Tactical Electronic Warfare: 1 October 1965 - 15 October 1970 EB-66B/C (Tail Code: RC)
- Deployed from Shaw AFB, South Carolina after withdrawn from 10th TRW detachment at Toul-Rosières Air Base, France
- 42d Tactical Electronic Warfare: 1 January 1966 - 15 October 1970 EB-66B/C/E (Tail Code: RH)
- Deployed from Shaw AFB, South Carolina after withdrawn from 25th TRW at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France
- Det. 1, 428th Tactical Fighter: 17 March 1968 - 19 November 1968 F-111A
- TDY Squadron of F-111As from Nellis AFB.
[edit] F-105 Tactical Operations
The 355th TFW participated in major strikes against North Vietnamese logistical areas. Among the targets hit by the 355th were the Yen Bay Arsenal and storage complex, Viet Tri Railroad and highway bridge, Hanoi petroleum storage complex, Dap Cau railroad and highway bridge, Phuc Yen petroleum storage and Thai Nguyen railroad station and yard.
In May 1967, the 355th TFW received its first Presidential Unit Citation for action from 1 January 1966 to 10 October 1966. During this time, the wing flew 11,892 sorties, downed 2 MiGs, and damaged 8 more.
On 10 March 1967, Capt. Max C. Brestel, an F-105 pilot became the first twin MiG-killer of the war when he shot down two MiG-17's.
Also on 10 March, Capt Merlyn H. Dethlefsen won the Medal of Honor. The target was the steel works at Thai Nguyen 50 miles north of Hanoi. After the flight leader was shot down and his wingman forced to leave the area due to battle damage, Major Dethlefsen took command of the flight and pressed the attack on the defensive positions around the target. While evading several MiGs and being hit by AAA, Major Dethlefsen took out 2 SAM sites to clear the way for the main strike force.
On 19 April 1967, Major Leo K. Thorsness won the Medal of Honor.
On 11 August 1967, the 355th conducted a raid on the Hanoi railroad and highway bridge. Thirty-six strike aircraft led by the 355th dropped 94 tons of bombs and destroyed one rail span and two highway spans on the northeast side of the bridge. The superstructure was damaged and the highway portion on the north side of the bridge, where it crossed the island in the river, was cut. This stopped the movement of an average of 26 trains per day with an estimated capacity of 5,950 short tons. Two aircraft were damaged, but no pilots were lost. The heart of the North Vietnamese transportation system had been dealt a severe blow.
On 8 October 1967, a flight of F-105's from the 355th TFW attacked and destroyed, on the ground, 2 Mil Mi-6 and 4 Mil Mi-4 Soviet built helicopters. On 24 October, The 355th lead a strike against the Phuc Yen airfield 18 miles north of Hanoi and the largest in North Vietnam. The airfield, which had been untouched prior to the raid, was left unserviceable. On 14 December, under heavy anti aircraft fire, the Wing attacked the Paul Doumer bridge, a vital link between Hanoi and Red China. For the third time, the bridge comes down.
In January 1970, the 355th TFW received its 2nd Presidential Unit Citation for action from 11 August-12 August 1967 and 24 October-28 October 1967.
In July, the 355th TFW received its record 3rd Presidential Unit Citation for action from 12 April 1968 through 30 April 1969. During this time frame, the wing dropped 32,000 tons of ordinance on 2,100 targets while flying 17,000 combat sorties.
[edit] F-105G Wild Weasels
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For more details on this topic, see Wild Weasel.
The Wild Weasel concept was originally proposed in 1965 as a method of countering the increasing North Vietnamese SAM threat, using volunteer crews. The mission of the Wild Weasels was to eliminate Communist Surface to Air Missile sites in North Vietnam.
On a Wild Weasel mission, an F-100 or F-4 would identify the SAM site and be targeted by the SAM, and then the F-105D's would fly the actual attack strike against the SAM Site. The F-105G was the designation given to Wild Weasel F-105Fs which were fitted with greatly improved avionics. The designation EF-105F was temporarily applied to these aircraft, but their designation was eventually changed to F-105G.
The first F-105Gs went to the 357th TFS at Tahkli RTAFB during the second half of 1967.
The 12th Tactical Fighter squadron of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing, which had been detached to Korat RTAFB from Okinawa, was also equipped with the F-105G and was temporarily reassigned to Takhli in June 1967. A third Wild Weasel squadron, the 44th TFS was reassigned to the 355th from Korat when the decision was made in October 1969 to make the 388th TFW at Korat an all F-4 wing.
The Detachment from the 12th TFS returned to its main unit at Korat and the 44th TFS was returned to Korat in September 1970 from the 355th TFW to the 388th TFW when the decision was made to consolidate the units of the Wild Weasel mission.
[edit] Air Refueling Mission
In September 1965, increasing demands for aerial refueling in Southeast Asia led to the deployment of Strategic Air Command KC-135 tankers to Takhli under the designation of King Cobra to supplement supplemented those at Don Muang Air Base in refueling the Thai-based fighters.
In January 1967, the SAC 4258th Strategic Wing assumed full responsibility for the Takhli KC-135 tankers formerly belonging to the 4252d SW at Kadena AB, Okinawa. At years end, the tanker force numbered 5 at Takhli. In February 1968, the KC-135s were transferred to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base Taiwan.
[edit] Electronic Warfare Mission
As part of the Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) weaponry that the USAF employed against North Vietnamese air defenses, variants of the Douglas B-66 were adapted to serve in the electronic countermeasures role as radar jamming aircraft. They were redesignated EB-66B.
All of the bombing equipment was removed and replaced by electronic jamming equipment. The tail turret was removed, and automatic jamming equipment was fitted in its place. Numerous antennae protruded from the aircraft, and chaff dispensing pods were carried. They were used during the Vietnam War as electronic warfare aircraft, joining strike aircraft during their missions over North Vietnam to jam enemy radar installations. They were not "Wild Weasel" aircraft, since they did not have provisions to attack the radar installations directly.
On 1 October 1965, the 41st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (TEWS) arrived from Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina with a squadron of EB-66s that had been stationed in France as part of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at RAF Alconbury.
During January 1966 the 42d Electronic Countermeasures Squadron (ECS) squadron arrived from Chambley-Bussieres Air Base, France flying RB-66C and WB-66s variants of the B-66 on photo reconnaissance and electronic warfare missions.
The B-66s were used to locate and identify North Vietnamese radar sites that directed missiles and AAA fire, so that strike aircraft could avoid them. The RB-66C had no offensive capability, so it could not attack the radar sites directly.
[edit] F-111A COMBAT LANCER
The General Dynamics F-111 was one of the most controversial aircraft that ever flew. Perhaps no other aircraft before or since has been so bitterly criticized in the media. The first production F-111A deliveries to the Air Force took place on 18 July 1967 to the 428th, 492nd and 430th Tactical Fighter Squadrons of the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. In early 1968, the squadron was reassigned to Nellis AFB, Nevada.
Shortly thereafter, the Air Force decided to rush a small detachment of F-111As to Southeast Asia under a program known as Combat Lancer. Six 428th TFS F-111As were allocated to the Combat Lancer program, and departed Nellis AFB for Takhli on 15 March 1968. By the end of that month, 55 night missions had been flown against targets in North Vietnam, but two aircraft had been lost. 66-0022 had been lost on March 28, and 66-0017 on March 30. Replacement aircraft had left Nellis, but the loss of a third F-111A (66-0024) on April 22 halted F-111A combat operations. However, the aircraft remained poised for combat, but they saw little action before their return to the United States in November.
It turned out that the three F-111A losses were not due to enemy action but were caused by wing and tail structural defects. One of the Combat Lancer crashes had been traced to a malfunction of the aircraft's tail servo actuator. The USAF later discovered (as a later returning prisoner of war would confirm) that a tailplane problem could cause a sudden and uncontrollable pitch-up and roll. This failure in the flying controls system caused the aircraft to break up in flight. The other two crashes in Vietnam were traced to poor mounting of the M61A1 cannon and to pilot error.
[edit] First withdrawal of US units
A phasing down of Takhli began in 1970 as part of the general American withdrawal from Southeast Asia
- In August 1970 the 42d TEWS (B-66) squadron were transferred to Korat. (The 41st TEWS had been deactivated October 31, 1969.)
- In September, Det 1, 12 TFS was deactivated and the aircraft rejoined the rest of the squadron at Korat with their F-105G Wild Weasel aircraft.
- On 6 October the Wing's last F-105 combat mission of the war was "DINO" flight led by Col. Waymond C. Nutt. This mission was an airstrike in Laos. On 7 October the 355 TFW ceased combat operations at Takhli, and on the 12th, the wing retired its colors with a 12-aircraft flyover of F-105s.
- The F-105 squadrons (357th and 333d) were sent to the 23d Tactical Fighter Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The 354th TFS was deactivated in place, then reactivated without equipment or personnel at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Arizona.
- The 44th TFS was reassigned to the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.
The 355th Tactical Fighter Wing was inactivated on 10 December. It was reactivated on 1 July 1971 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Arizona. The last USAF personnel left Takhli RTAFB by April 1971.
[edit] 1972 return of USAF
In response to the 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive and invasion of South Vietnam by its regular armed forces, the United States launched Operation Linebacker, the first sustained bombing of North Vietnam by the U.S. since November 1968.
[edit] 49th Tactical Fighter Wing
On 5 May about 35 members of an PACAF advance party returned to Takhli to prepare the facility for the arrival of the F-4D "Phantoms"s of the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing from Holloman AFB, New Mexico.
Squadrons from Holloman deployed to Takhli were:
- 7th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - blue stripe)
- 8th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - yellow stripe)
- 9th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - red stripe)
During this deployment the 49th flew more than 21,000 combat hours over just about every battle zone from An Loc to vital installations in the Hanoi vicinity. During five months of combat, the wing did not lose any aircraft or personnel -- a testament to the outstanding training and proficiency of all members of the 49th. The unit received an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device for its participation.
Along with the F-4s, KC-135's of the 11th Air Refueling Squadron from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma were also deployed.
[edit] 366th Tactical Fighter Wing
On 30 June the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing was reassigned to Takhli from Da Nang Air Base South Vietnam, taking over host unit responsibilities from the 49th TFW. Its operational squadrons were:
- 7th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - blue stripe) (F-4D)
- 8th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - yellow stripe) (F-4D)
- 9th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HO - red stripe) (F-4D)
- 4th Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: LA) (F-4E)
- 421st Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: LC) (F-4E)
From Takhli 366th TFW aircrews flew air superiority missions over Vietnam. In addition several AC-130 gunships were deployed to Takhli from the 8th TFW at Ubon. These AC-130s were assigned to Det 1., 16th Special Operations Squadron.
The Holloman-based TDY squadrons returned to New Mexico on 27 October 1972.
The 4th and 421st TFSs were transferred to the 432d TRW at Udon RTAFB on 31 October 1972.
The 366th TFW was deactivated in place on 31 October 1972, being reactivated the same day without personnel or equipment at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
[edit] 474th Tactical Fighter Wing
With the departure of the 366th, the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing (Deployed) equipped with F-111s arrived at Takhli on Temporary Duty from Nellis Air Force Base Nevada on 27 September 1972.
The 474th TFW flew F-111As. Operational fighter squadrons of the 474th were:
- 428th Tactical Fighter
- 429th Tactical Fighter
- 430th Tactical Fighter
All F-111As of the 474th carried the tail code NA. From Takhli, the 474th participated in Operation Linebacker II when the United States resumed the large scale bombing of North Vietnam.
In early 1973, With the suspension of bombing in North Vietnam and the resumption of peace negotiations, inflight refueling requirements decreased markedly. As a result, in late January 1973 many of the augmented tankers of the 11th Air Refueling Squadron, which has been rotating aircraft and aircrews from Altus AFB, returned to Oklahoma.
The 430th TFS returned to the 474th TFW Nellis on 22 March 1973, while the 428th and 429th were assigned to the newly transferred 347th Tactical Fighter Wing from Mountain Home Air Force Base Idaho on 30 July 1973.
[edit] 347th Tactical Fighter Wing
On 30 July 1973 the TDY of the 474th TFW ended. The wing was replaced at Takhli by the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing which was transferred from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, retaining two squadrons of F-111As of the 474th. These were:
- 428 Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HG - Red Tail Fin)
- 429 Tactical Fighter (Tail Code: HG - Yellow Tail Fin)
For a brief two-week period the 347th flew combat operations into Cambodia until 15 August, when the last wartime mission of the Vietnam Era was flown into Cambodia for final mission of Constant Guard. After the cease-fire, the wing was maintained in a combat-ready status for possible contingency actions.
[edit] Final USAF withdrawal from Takhli
During January 1974 the Secretary of Defense announced a realignment of Thailand resources, with the final pullout of air resources by the end of 1976. In June 1974, Four F-111s from the 347 TFW flew from Takhli to Osan Air Base South Korea and conducted live weapons demonstrations for Republic of Korea and US officials at Nightmare Range.
On 12 July the 347 TFW's F-111's and the AC-130 gunships from the 16th SOS were transferred to Korat.
On 31 July 1974 phase down of operations at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base was completed ahead of schedule, and the base was officially returned to the Thai Government on 12 September. All remaining US personnel departed on 14 September.
[edit] Major Aircraft Types Assigned To Takhli
- F-100 Super Sabre (1961-1963)
- F-105 Thunderchief (1963-1970)
- Boeing KB-50 (1964-1965)
- F-104 Starfighter (1965)
- Douglas EB-66 Destroyer (1965-1970)
- KC-135 Stratotanker (1967-1968)
- General Dynamics F-111 (1967, 1972-1974)
- F-4 Phantom II (1972)
[edit] Takhli USAF Unit Emblem Gallery
 USAF Pacific Air Forces |
 Strategic Air Command |
 3d Air Division |
 13th Air Force |
 7/13 Air Force |
 7th Air Force |
 524th Tactical Fighter Squadron |
 510th Tactical Fighter squadron |
 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron |
 355th Tactical Fighter Wing |
 49th Tactical Fighter Wing |
 366th Tactical Fighter Wing |
 474th Tactical Fighter Wing |
 347th Tactical Fighter Wing |
[edit] Post-Vietnam Deployments by USAF to Takhli
From 13 - 17 December 1982 Commando West V was held. This marked the first visit of a PACAF tactical unit to Thailand since the early 1970s. The 90th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Elmendorf AFB Alaska deployed six F-4Es to Takhli, flying a total of 55 sorties with the Royal Thai Air Force.
Also on 25 November 1983 six F-4Es from the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing's 3TFS deployed to Takhli for dissimilar air combat tactics training with the Royal Thai Air Force. The group returned to Clark Air Base on 5 December.
[edit] See also
- United States Air Force In Thailand
- United States Pacific Air Forces
- Seventh Air Force
- Thirteenth Air Force
[edit] References
- Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
- Glasser, Jeffrey D. (1998). The Secret Vietnam War: The United States Air Force in Thailand, 1961-1975. McFarland & Company. ISBN 0786400846.
- Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present
- The Royal Thai Air Force (English Pages)
- Royal Thai Air Force - Overview
[edit] External links
- Takhli Photos 72-74
- www.Takhli RTAFB.org
- Takhli RTAFB, Thailand – 355th TFW Days
- Takhli RTAFB Hootchs
- Takhli Message Board
- Takhli Air Base - APO 96273
- Airport information for VTPI at World Aero Data
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