National Aviation Museum of the Royal Thai Air Force
In
1913,
His Majesty King Vajiravudh (RAMA VI) graciously established the Thai Aviation Affairs with the creation of an aviation unit under the command of the Inspector General of the Engineering Department.
In
1914,
the Army Air Corp. was established and gradually evolved into the “Royal Thai Air Force“.
Aircraft, engines, aviation equipment – including documents – changed from era to era, and many of them were lost, causing difficulty for the new generation in learning. Thus, Group Captain Phraya Vehasayan Silapasit, one of the three founding fathers of Thai aviation, perceived the importance of the matter and managed to keep decommissioned aircraft within the Flying Training Division for government officers to see the evolution of aviation affairs.
The Royal Thai Air Force built a new museum building, presently located on the left side of Phaholyothin Road, diagonally opposite from Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Thai Air Force Academy.
It was built on the 26 March, 1968,
The Royal Thai Air Force established an aviation museum on the 26th September, 1952, and appointed members of the board to proceed with laying the foundation of the aviation museum. The objective was to collect and preserve aircraft, electronic communicators, and military hardware used in the Air Force, pilot personal equipment, uniforms, and other objects, including necessary documents, as a record of the legend of the Air Force for those interested in its history and development. At first, the museum building was located at the 3rd hangar to the west of Donmuang Airport. However, due to the large number of museum objects, the powder and explosive magazine of the Directorate of Armament was used as an additional annex to the museum under the responsibility of the Directorate of Aeronautical Engineering. In 1962, the responsibility of the aviation museum was transferred to the Directorate of Administrative Services. The museum was a place for the collection of aviation objects which held historical value for aviation. The museum was given an invaluable honour from His Majesty King Bhumibol and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn (His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun) when they observed the aircraft in the aviation museum on 11th December, 1962.
and officially opened on the 25
January, 1969.
Furthermore, the hangars of Aviation Division 1 and Aviation Division 6 were demolished to build 2 new hangars for displaying different types of aircraft and other museum objects.
