Royal Thai Air Force Children’s Day Open House 2025 – Udon Thani – Wing 23

Hanson Seah

PHOTO FEATURE | 35 IMAGES

Editor’s Note: This is part two of our two-part coverage of the Royal Thai Air Force Children’s Day Open House 2025. The first part features the mainstay event in Wing 6 – Don Muang Air Force Base and can be viewed here.

01. RTAF Alpha Jet TH, 231 Squadron, Wing 23.
02. RSAF F-16C, 143 Squadron, Udon Detachment.

On 11 January 2025, Thailand celebrated its National Children’s Day (Wan Dek Haeng Chati, Thai: วันเด็กแห่งชาติ). The public holiday takes place on the second Saturday of January each year; many families take their children out for educational field trips. Various attractions and institutions offer free admission on this special day, with organised activities, fairs, gifts meant to captivate and inspire young minds.

As per annual tradition, Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced the motto for “Wan Dek 2568 B.E.” (C.E Year 2025) to be “Every opportunity is a learning experience – be ready to adapt to the future you choose.”

RTAF Open House 2025

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF, Kong Thap Akat Thai, Thai: กองทัพอากาศไทย) announced the opening of its bases nationwide for National Children’s Day one month prior to the occasion. The open house events typically feature aerial displays, static displays, exhibitions and cultural performances which instil patriotism and inspire youths to pursue a pathway in aviation technology.

In this second part of our RTAF Open House 2025 feature, we visited the Children’s Day Open House in Wing 23 – Udon Thani Air Force Base (also known as Udorn Air Force Base). Similar to Don Mueang, Udon Thani is also a joint-use airport. The international passenger terminal is located on the north-western end of the airfield.

Wing 23 is home to 231 Squadron “Hunters” which flies the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet TH. While 25 airframes were procured from Luftwaffe from 2000 to 2001, in 2021 there were reportedly 20 airworthy airframes, of which 14 were marked for the modernisation program.

Termed the Alpha Jet Capability Improvement Programme, local corporation R V Connex served as prime contractor. RTAF took the role as evaluator and receiver of the Operational Flight Program (OFP) technology transfer. Modernisation included an enhanced tactical data link via Link-TH platform, a new Heads-Up-Display (HUD), Hands on Throttle-and-Stick (HOTAS) mirroring those in the F-16 and AT-6TH, and glass cockpit with Multi-Functional Display (MFD) capable of displaying GeoTiff Map 1 & 2 and DED data.

The first airframe completed the modernisation in August 2021 and the type is expected to continue its well-established role in Close Air Support (CAS). Interestingly, RTAF has also used the aircraft for occasional weather seeding duties.

Despite the cold weather, 37,300 visitors turned up at Wing 23 for the Children’s Day Open House. Highlights included a static display, aerial display of a mock airfield attack by the Alpha Jet TH, search and rescue (SAR) demo by the EC725 helicopter, K-9 military working dog performances, and a firefighting and rescue demo by the crash crew team.

Guests at the static display include an RTAF T-50TH from 401 Squadron, Takhli Air Base, and a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16C from 143 Squadron, Tengah Air Base. The RSAF occasionally deploys a small number of fighter aircraft to Udon Thani Air Base as part of a training detachment. This is in addition to several other bilateral and multilateral exercises held in Thailand, such as Air Thai Sing and Cope Tiger, highlighting the strong defence relations between nations.

Map of the flying displays (Source: RTAF FB)
Map of the static displays (Source: RTAF FB)
03. Group Captain Nathai Muangmanee, Commander of Wing 23, presided over the opening ceremony.
04. Soldiers from RTAF Security Force Battalion, Wing 21. Equipped with M2HB .50 Cal Browning machine gun quick-change barrel (Q.C.B.) type.
05. The Children’s Day Open House was supported by civil servants, employees, government officials, conscripts, members of the Wing 23 Air Force Wives’ Club, various government and private sector agencies.
06. Thai Airways employees in a group photo with Wing 23 mascot, “Lion Man”.
07. RSAF servicemen interacting with locals through game booths and gift-giving.
09. Staff from Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI) preparing snacks and drinks for children.
08. For children of RTAF aircrew, it was also an exciting day for them to learn about their parents’ jobs.
10. Firefighting and crash crew fully kitted up.
11. Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet TH (23135). Operated by 231 Squadron, Udon Thani Air Base.
12. Display of the armament carried by the Alpha Jet TH. From left, LAU-3/A fitted with 2.75-inch rockets, LAU-131/A, MK 82, and SUU-20 which is able to dispense the BDU-33D/B (blue) and MK-106 (red) training bombs.
13. KAI T-50TH Golden Eagle (40114). Operated by 401 Squadron, Takhli Air Base.
14. RSAF F-16C (615). Operated by 143 Squadron, Tengah Air Base, Singapore.
15. The RSAF Udon Training Detachment is also known as “Wessuwan Warriors”.
16. Close-up of the insignia of the Udon Training Detachment.
17. RSAF aircrew members pose for photos with locals.
18. Commentators building up excitement prior to the aerial display.
19. Flight control surfaces check after engine start-up.
20. Taxiing to runway 30 for take-off. Udon Thani Airport has a single shared runway (12/30).
21. The Alpha Jet TH excels at Close Air Support (CAS). It demonstrated airfield attack and defence with a series of dives and sharp manoeuvring.
22. On downwind and configured for landing.
23. An excited visitor with a postcard souvenir of the Alpha Jet TH.
24. Aircraft mock-up, used by firefighters and crash crews to train for emergency response.
25. Toyota Hilux Revo rescue and lifesaving vehicle built by Promedic and operated by the RTAF Directorate of Civil Engineering.
26. Multi-purpose fire truck assembled locally by Chase, with a 4000-litre water tank capacity and 500-litre foam tank capacity.
27. Crash crew team from the civil engineering department demonstrates casualty recovery from a simulated aircraft fire.
28. K-9 working dog takes down a “base intruder”.
29. Base protection demonstration by the RTAF Security Force Battalion.
30. A gunner from motor vehicle patrol division (MVPD) operates the M60 machine gun.
31. A search-and-rescue (SAR) team rappels down from the EC725 helicopter.
32. The SAR team set off flares as a visual cue for the helicopter pilots before proceeding to stabilise the casualty.
33. The EC725 simulates the transportation of casualty to the nearest medical facility.
34. A simulated patient handover to an ambulance crew, concluding the EC725 SAR demo.
35. North American T-28D Trojan and Northrop F-5B Freedom Fighter on display outside the main gate of Wing 23, Udon Thani Air Base.

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