Crowds top 100,000 at RTAF Children’s Day air show

ACM Sakesan Kantha, commander of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), said crowds of young people and families turned out in huge numbers for the RTAF’s National Children’s Day event at Squadron 601, Wing 6, Don Mueang, with more than 100,000 registrations for the flying display alone, not including walk-in visitors.

Speaking on 10 January 2026 after opening the event, ACM Sakesan said he was proud to see such strong interest from youth and the public. He said he hoped that, in the next decade, Thailand would continue to see young people who value the nation and the country’s key institutions, and he described this year’s atmosphere as markedly different from previous years.

ACM Sakesan said Thailand’s development depends not only on a strong economy, society and politics, but also on security and defence. He said the country cannot stand confidently on the world stage without a capable military, adding that the RTAF wants the public to see that building a strong and stable nation must remain a shared goal — regardless of what career young people pursue.

He also spoke about his own childhood inspiration to join the air force, saying his father and grandfather served in the Royal Thai Air Force and had been involved in the Korean War in support roles under a UN framework. He said their experiences motivated him to follow the same path, even though he had once considered other careers.

ACM Sakesan noted that technology has advanced rapidly and modern conflict now extends beyond air power to cyber, space and drones, requiring personnel with different skills from the past. He said the RTAF is widening opportunities for women, with recruitment open to female applicants aged 22 or under for pilot training. The air force already has seven female transport pilots and plans to recruit four more in 2026.

Air show programme and static displays

The RTAF said the event’s flying programme showcased missions to protect Thailand’s airspace, including:

• A Thai-flag smoke display by an AU-23 (Peacemaker)
• A flypast during the opening ceremony by F-16s
• Performance demonstrations by F-16 and Gripen fighter aircraft
• A flying display by an AT-6 trainer aircraft

A static display featured 22 aircraft types, including F-16 A/B, Gripen, AT-6, F-5 E/F, T-50, AU-23, C-130, ATR-72, A340, SAAB 340, BT-67, T-6C, as well as older models such as T-33, T-28, P-64 and O-1A, plus helicopters including the H-225M and S-70i, along with other military equipment exhibits.

The central Children’s Day event was held at Don Mueang at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum and National Aviation Museum and the RTAF’s small airfield at Thung Si Kan.