Udon residents suffer foreign jet flyovers at mid-city airport
In most civilised countries, airbases are sited away from urban areas. The fighter jets would love to practice flying low over towns and cities (because that is where they might be deployed), but have to be content with practising over sparsely populated
Except in Thailand. Here in Udon Thani, the Royal Thai Air Force is actually based well within city limits.
To add insult to injury, every year the United States Air Force is invited over to practice manoeuvres. This would never happen over Bangkok, of course. That’s where the only people who could stop it live, and where foreigners working and holidaying would soon make their disapproval known.
Here though, there is nobody to complain to, although people seem to be complaining among themselves.
Even if there was, it is recognised that nobody in an official position would be remotely interested in the rights or feelings of the people of Udon Thani, or anywhere else in Isaan for that matter. After all, isn’t that where many supporters of that self-serving and corrupt politician, Thaksin, come from?
Keith Barlow
