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Air Force Flags and Fin Flash (Thailand)

Royal Thai Air Force

Air Force Flag 1936-1962
Reported Air Force Flag 1955
Air Force Flag 1962-1979
Air Force Fin Flash
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force 1936

See also:

Thailand

Other sites:

The Siam Army Air Corps were formed in 27 March 1914 and became Kongtap Agard Thai (Royal Thai Air Force, or RTAF) on 24 June 1939. according to [cos98] it adopted a roundel based on the national flag in 1917 with "national" rudder stripes. Those marking (except making the rudder marking smaller) are the same as today after their re-adoption in 1945. See pre-WWII, Current

[cos98] reports that after war broke out between Thailand and France in 1941, in order not to be mistaken by the roundels, the RTAF replaced the roundel with the national flag.

In Dec. 1941, Thailand was taken over by Japan and became a puppet state. It adopted (according to [cos98]) the Siam 1855-1916 flag and also adopted a marking made of Japanease roundel on one wing and the flag ot the other wing and tail. In 1945 the former marking were re-adopted.

Dov Gutterman, 26 Jun 2003

Air Force Flag 1936-1962

by Jaume Ollé, source: Flaggenbuch 1939

Reported Air Force Flag 1955

by Jaume Ollé, source Flags of All Nations 1955

The air force flag mentioned on the Singha Beer website is different from the two images Jaume sent — it has a central emblem a bit like the one in Flaggenbuch 1939 and another emblem in the upper hoist.

Jan Oskar Engene, 13 August 1997

The flags of the air force that I posted are of 1939 and 1955. The flag in the Thai page is around the 70s.

Jaume Ollé, 16 August 1997

Well, you may try to get more information about the air force flag at the Royal Thai Airforce website.

Wisarut Bholsithi, 29 October 1999

Air Force Flag 1962-1979

The blue border matches the original source's background and is not part of the flag
from the Singha Beer source

From the Singha Beer source:

The Airforce Flag (B.E.2505) [1962 AD]
This tricolor flag is similar in design to the national "Trairanga". In the top left-hand corner —the one next to the flagpole— stands the Royal Crown together with an ordinal number —in yellow— depicting the King's place within the dynasty as a whole. Beneath this are the Royal initials in red, trimmed in yellow. As a final touch, blue shards light radiate from top of the crown itself. In the middle stands a blue circle with the airforce's coat of arms in the center. Along the inner edge —i.e. the one next to the flagpole— runs a red-and-black cord. The other three borders are trimmed in yellow braid, 2 cms. wide. [Like th-air39.gif Air Force Flag 1936-1962 above, but with a circular emblem and with crown and initials.]

Also known as the "Chaichalermpol flag", the Airforce flag first made its appearance in B.E.2479 [1936 AD], with one minor change, namely the addition of the Royal emblem in the top left-hand corner next to the flagpole itself. The flag shown here was first used in B.E.2505 [1962 AD]. Nowadays, there is a new design which was created following a special Royal Decree, issued in B.E.2522 [1979 AD], concerning flags.

Santiago Dotor, 29 October 1999

Air Force Fin Flash

by Dov Gutterman

Royal Thai Air Force uses a square national flag as fin flash.

Dov Gutterman, 12 October 1999

Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force 1936

The blue border matches the original source's background and is not part of the flag
from the Singha Beer source

From the Singha Beer source:

The Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Airforce (B.E.2482) [1939 AD]
This is a rectangular blue flag, its height measuring 5/2 of its length. In the middle stands a flaming yellow Chakkra, flanked on either side by a pair of yellow wings. Above the Chakkra itself stands the Royal Crown.

The flag first made an appearance following a Royal Decree, issued in B.E.2479 [1936 AD], concerning flags. It was known as the "Flag of Commander-in-Chief of the Airforce". Nowadays, however, use of the flag has been discontinued.

Again the description seems to imply ratio 2:5, whereas the image shos a 2:3 (or rather 17:25) flag.

Santiago Dotor, 5 November 1999

This site seems to indicate that the Commander-in-Chief's flag is still in use and that it may have a small ornamental border.

Jan Mertens, 02 Sep 2004

It does have a yellow border. My former website (now sadly closed down) used to have a photo of a Change of Command ceremony which clearly showed the yellow border.

Miles Li, 02 Sep 2003