Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (Nakhon Ratchasima Royal Thai Air Force Base)

Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, also known as Nakhon Ratchasima Royal Thai Air Force Base, is located in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in northeast Thailand, approximately 200 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The installation originated as a logistics support airfield during the Japanese occupation in World War II. Following the conflict, the facility was transferred to the Thai government. In 1961, the base began hosting United States forces for air defense and reconnaissance operations. The United States Air Force (USAF) mission officially commenced in April 1962, and the installation served as a front-line facility for operations in Southeast Asia through 1975.

During the Vietnam War, the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing was the primary tenant, operating F-105 Thunderchief, F-4 Phantom II, and A-7D Corsair II aircraft. The facility also hosted units operating EC-121 Warning Stars, EB-66 Destroyers, and EC-130 Hercules command and control aircraft. Adjacent to the airfield was the United States Army’s Camp Friendship, which served as a logistics and engineering headquarters for the US Army Support, Thailand. The USAF officially returned the base to the Thai government on February 26, 1976.

The Royal Thai Air Force currently operates the installation as the home of the 1st RTAF Wing. The wing consists of 101, 102, and 103 Squadrons. These units operate F-16A/B Fighting Falcons, including Air Defense Fighter variants. A detachment of UH-1H Iroquois helicopters from 203 Squadron is also stationed at the facility. Infrastructure includes a single runway with a full-length parallel taxiway. The airfield functioned as a joint-use civil airport from the 1980s until the early 1990s.