Nakhon phanom

[Guest]

Anyone been there...up North on the Mekong

[pistolero]

It's way up north near Laos, about 700-800 kilos from Bangkok.

I was kicking around the idea of heading up for Lai Rua Fai in October (awk pansaa/end of lent), which is supposedly pretty cool.

Info below

http://www.thaitourism.com/articles/10_04_2.asp

[dhz]

It was a exciting moment for to stand there on the Mekong river and looking over to Laos.

[Guest]

We had an air base there during the war. NKP or affectionately known as Naked Fanny. It was an Air America staging area as well as the closest US Air Base, among those in Thailand, to Viet Nam, so among airmen was considered the Thailand duty assignment with the most element of risk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakhon_Phanom_province

http://aircommandoman.tripod.com/

http://isan.sawadee.com/nakhonphanom/

There is a lot of US connected history at NKP, which would make it high on the list to visit among interesting places off the beaten tourist track.

[pistolero]

I had no idea about that connection with the US, Lefty.

Great info there. Makes me want to visit all the more.

P

[Guest]

Thanks guys,...I will be there for Ork Phansa.../ Boat Festival....in October 15 - 18th . Pistolero let me know if you will go and Ill catch u there......Hotels will be hard to get so book asap......The 18th is all booked out now I think....

[pistolero]

Pistolero let me know if you will go and Ill catch u there......Hotels will be hard to get so book asap......The 18th is all booked out now I think....

C,
I'll pm you if I can make the trip. 50/50 as is.

Good point about the hotels.

[Mai-Kee]

We had an air base there during the war. NKP or affectionately known as Naked Fanny. It was an Air America staging area as well as the closest US Air Base, among those in Thailand, to Viet Nam, so among airmen was considered the Thailand duty assignment with the most element of risk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakhon_Phanom_province

http://aircommandoman.tripod.com/

http://isan.sawadee.com/nakhonphanom/

There is a lot of US connected history at NKP, which would make it high on the list to visit among interesting places off the beaten tourist track.

Same goes for Ubon Ratchathani!
Lot of air traffic(king) those days.....

MK

[Guest]

The list of Air Bases used by the US located inside Thailand during the VN era included: Ubon - Udorn - NKP - U-Tapao - Takhli - Korat - Don Muang
The largest US contingent was at U-Tapao, where the B-52s flew from. Most of us know this base as being close to Pattaya, about 25 minutes drive away.

NKP had the distinction of beiing only 230 miles from Hanoi

[Guest]

This is great stuff for me, gang - thanks

From 1967 Nakhon Phanom was home base to a USAF contingent of Douglas A-1 'Skyraider' aircraft - a huge, radial-engine and propeller-driven, 150-mph anachronism

"...as expected, a time machine measuring fifty feet and one-quarter inches wingtip to wingtip. It was heavy for a single-engine ship at 12,000 pounds empty and it was big. The engine was a Wright R-3350-26WD and rated at nearly 3,000 HP. It carried nearly 40 gallons of oil, most of which wound up on the aircraft surfaces and on the pilots. It also burned about 100 gallons an hour of fuel. For all that it barely went three miles a minute with an ordnance load. But speed was a relative thing and had lost all its importance in the sort of war we would be in."

- from "My Secret War" by Richard Drury (out of print but still available from the author - just 'Google' for information)

Because of its slow speed, long on-scene 'loiter' time, and ability to carry a huge load, the A-1 was ideally suited for providing on-scene command for the rescue of downed aircrew by coordinating the helicopters and support aircraft while suppressing enemy gunfire

A number of my friends owe their lives to the USAF pilots who flew the A-1 (call sign "Sandy") from NKP in an almost-forgotten chapter of that war

This thread has brought back some memories - think I will have to travel up to Nakhon Phanom someday soon

Thanks, gang

[Guest]

I know I should be posting pics of LBs instead of airplanes but I couldn't resist this one

[Guest]

The guys at NKP used to say they had the best job in a shitty war - trying to get downed pilots back before they were captured or killed by the VC...

[Guest]

...a job not without risk

Thanks guys

[pistolero]

Great pics, thick!

[Guest]

Thanks Pistolero

No chance for a trip to NKP in October, but early November a good possibility

Stay in touch if you might be available for a fun road trip

With thanks