In 1913 three Thai army officers were dispatched to France to become their nation’s first pilots. After completion of their training the three returned to Siam in November along with four Breguets and four Nieuport IVs in shipping crates. This marked the unofficial beginning of the what would eventually become the Royal Thai Air Force. Marking its 101st year of continuous operations this year, it is one of the oldest air forces in Asia and has a rich and storied history.
After seeing a February 1911 air display by Belgian pilot Charles Van Den Born at the Sa Pathum Horse Racing Course, the leadership of then Siam was astute enough to see the potential of aircraft. By the following year all arrangements were complete with the then aeronautical superpower, France, to train three officers in flight. From there it grew in size and importance as a branch of the Siamese army, eventually becoming an independent service in 1937 as the Royal Siamese Air Force. In 1939 the ethnic Thai came to power so the name was once again changed to the Royal Thai Air Force and has been ever since.