Strange tale of Taiwan’s F-5As in Thailand

[Test7]

Thailand is one of the top travel destinations for Taiwanese. Last year, there were 789,923 arrivals from Taiwan to Thailand. For those who bothered to make the trip to the Royal Thai Air Force museum in Don Muang, they will be able to find four former Taiwanese F-5As there.

Walk right into the main hall, visitors will be greeted by a F-5A #1311 hanging from the wall. Although painted in RTAF 103 Squadron markings, this is a former RoCAF F-5A #1275.

In the back of the museum, you will find three F-5A fuselages with traditional Chinese wordings on them. These are former Taiwanese Tigers #1271, 1258 and 1295. 1295 was the last F-5A to enter service in Taiwan.

Why those airframes ended up in Thailand is still a mystery.

 

[Reviewbrah]

If you are visiting Thailand to see Taiwanese F-5s. They should make you the CEO of Northrop Grumman

 

[Nilgiri]

Why those airframes ended up in Thailand is still a mystery.

It is not too much a mystery.

Lot of Taiwanese F-5s were loaned (by way of US + SEATO) to South Vietnam for use in Vietnam war.

I believe very few made it back to Taiwan (given state they were in), US simply provided Taiwan with more new F-5s later from own reserves.

Thailand was huge logistics, MRO and support base for USAF/USN (along with Philippines) during duration of this war.....so it is not surprising that bunch of ROCAF F-5s ended up there in purgatory. It is good to see Thai museum presenting and honouring these aircraft though, I will have to make it point to try visit here next time I'm in Thailand.

As somewhat an aside, spares, weapons, engines, radar support (and even complete aircraft) was still transferred through old SEATO network to Taiwan from US post-recognition switch to PRC under Nixon.

In fact as late as during 90s/early 2000s in defence registries I investigated/came across....I found US jet engines and such passing through Singapore. Singapore was officially buying them basically (and they were still using upgraded F-5 at the time along with F-16), but they were for use in Taiwan in the end.

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