Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base (Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base)

Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base is located in northeastern Thailand, 14.5 kilometers west of Nakhon Phanom city and 587 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. The facility sits adjacent to the Mekong River, which forms the international border with Laos. Originally established in the 1950s as a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) installation, the base currently serves as a Royal Thai Navy facility for riverine patrols. The airfield is utilized as a joint civilian airport.

In 1961, the Thai government authorized the United States to utilize the base for air defense and reconnaissance missions. The U.S. Navy's Mobile Construction Battalion Three began infrastructure development in 1962, including the construction of runways and primary buildings. Between 1961 and 1975, the installation functioned as a front-line facility for operations in Southeast Asia. From February 1973 until June 1975, the base served as the headquarters for the United States Support Activities Group & 7th Air Force (USSAG/7th AF). Following the deactivation of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), the base also hosted the Defense Attaché Office and coordinated regional air and naval operations. U.S. forces withdrew from the installation in October 1975 under Operation Palace Lightning.

Historical infrastructure included Task Force Alpha, which functioned as a signal processing center for Operation Igloo White, and a TACAN station designated Channel 89. During its period of active combat support, the base hosted the 56th Special Operations Wing and various aerospace rescue and recovery squadrons. Aircraft types formerly stationed at the facility included squadrons of A-1 Skyraiders, AC-119 gunships, and A-26 Invaders. Rotary-wing assets included units of CH-3 and CH-53 helicopters. The base also hosted forward air control and reconnaissance aircraft, such as the O-1, O-2, OV-10, and EC-47. Clandestine organizations, including MACV-SOG and Air America, utilized the base for operations in Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Current military infrastructure supports the Royal Thai Navy's riverine patrol mission.