Sra Pathum Airfield is the first airport in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, established in 1911 at the site of Sra Pathum Racecourse in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. On March 8, 1914, it was closed due to poor weather conditions and its proximity to Bangkok.

History of Sra Pathum Airfield

Seven years after

Orville Wright The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first succes ...

’s invention, foreigners in Bangkok collaborated to bring an aircraft demonstration to Thailand for the first time ever, and contacted Belgian pilot to bring the Henry Farman IV. While several other aviators were invited, only Charles had shown up. At the time, most of Bangkok was marshy, flood-prone, and used for rice paddies. By chance, Karl Offer, a coordinator of Societe d’Aviation Extreme Oriente, was also a member of the

Royal Bangkok Sports Club The Royal Bangkok Sports Club (RBSC, ) is an exclusive sports club in Bangkok, Thailand, best known to the public for its horse racing venue. Founded in 1901, it was the first racecourse in the country and one of the oldest golf courses. Original ...

. He requested that the central racetrack should be used for the demonstration, as it had solid ground suitable to support the weight of the aircraft. Soon afterwards, the club constructed 15 new entrances and 4 bridges across surrounding moats, and also a temporary hangar in the golf course. On the evening of February 3, 1911, Minister of Defense General Phichai Srisuradej,

King Vajiravudh Vajiravudh (1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and promote Siamese nationa ...

(Rama VI), and other Royal Family members visited the racecourse to watch the demonstration, which made headlines in the Bangkok Times. People who wanted to experienced Bangkok from the sky could pay 50 baht for the experience, and the first foreigner to see Bangkok from above was Mr. F. Bopp. The public demonstration was supposed to end on February 6, however, it was extended for three extra days due to public demand.

Establishment

King Rama VI was impressed by the air show, and on January 13, 1912, military officers Major Luang Sakdi Sanlayawut, Captain Luang Arwut Sikikorn and First Lieutenant Tip Ketuthat were sent to attend aviation courses in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. By November 2, 1913, the three military officers returned with a French mechanic, 3 Breguet planes and 4 Nieuport monoplanes which the Thai government had ordered. They used a route through Russia and Japan, experiencing other flight demonstrations along the way. One Breguet plane was donated by Chao Phraya Aphai Pubet, a wealthy Siamese governor, bringing the number to 8. In late 1913, the first test flight was made, and the Thai aeronautical engineering and flight training was established by the three officers. A temporary hangar was constructed behind the Pathumwan Police Patrol School. On December 19, the officers conducted the first flight tests on the aircraft, and by January 13, an aviation unit was formed through the Siamese Army. It was equipped with the 8 planes.

Unsuitable conditions

In 1914, the

Ministry of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

found the location unsuitable due to the fact that Sra Pathum Airfield was located in a flood-prone area when it rained during Monsoon, and also being close to the center of Bangkok City which restrained limitations. A new location was chosen by Prince Chakrabongse, 23 kilometers north of Bangkok, which could only be accessed by railways at the time.

Closure

With the finishing of

Don Mueang Airport Don Mueang International Airport — known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006 — is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The airport is considered ...

, the aviation unit was transferred, and the Sra Pathum Racecourse run by the

continued operations as-per-usual. On March 8, 1914, the last flight took place, and Sra Pathum Airfield officially closed. The military flight took off from Sra Pathum Airport and landed at Don Mueang Airport. The aviation unit later evolved into the

Royal Thai Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (; ) 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 ...

Legacy

On 31 May 1994, January 13 was designated as National Aviation Day by the Thai cabinet, following a proposal made by the Foundation for the Conservation and Development of Thai Aircraft under Royal Patronage. The foundation was aimed to honor King Rama VI for his role in establishing aviation in Thailand. The celebrations began in 1995. The foundation was established in 1998 to preserve and promote the history of aviation in Thailand. It operates a museum and preserve aircraft such as the

T-28 Trojan The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a radial-engine military trainer aircraft manufactured by North American Aviation and used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use as a trainer, ...

(serial 138173), which was formerly used by the Royal Thai Air Force. It was built by the North American Aviation and originally used by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, which was later restored airworthy from its previous civilian life.

References