Use of Agent Purple, Agent Orange and Agent Blue on Royal Thai Air Force Base Perimeters in Thailand during the Vietnam War

Abstract

Seven Royal Thai Air Force bases in Thailand were used by the United States Air Force (USAF) during the Vietnam War as staging hubs for operations in Laos and Cambodia. Five bases in Thailand, including Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Korat, U-Tapao and Udorn endured sniper fire interdiction, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks. Nam Phong, an eighth Royal Thai Air Force base was used by the United States Marine Corps air operations starting in 1972. US Military personnel stationed throughout Thailand were also attacked by Communists insurgents. Two herbicides, Agent Purple and Agent Orange containing 2, 4, 5-T contaminated with dioxin (TCDD-2, 3, 7, 8 tetrachlorodibenzodioxin) and a third herbicide, the arsenic-based Agent Blue, were routinely received at these Thailand airbases in support of air missions and to keep airbases and perimeter fences clear of vegetation. Udorn Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base, established in the 1950s was consistently a target of enemy attacks during this period. The Thai government allowed the United States to use five bases, covertly, and two other Thai bases, openly, due to concerns that the civil war inside Laos might spread into Thailand. The US Air Force began, in 1961, to provide the air defense of Thailand and to fly reconnaissance flights over Laos. Under the United States and Thailand's "gentleman's agreement", the bases used by the USAF were considered RTAF bases under the command of Thai officers. The USAF at Udorn was under the command of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Thirteenth Air Force and was used to temporarily store and distribute Agent Purple, Agent Orange and Agent Blue to Laos's airfields for spraying of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Thai air police controlled access to the bases using sentry dogs, observation towers, and machine gun emplacements.

Review and Analysis: United States Secret Wars in Cambodia: Long-Term Impacts and Consequences

“…However, it also affects some of the Americans who served in Cambodia and Laos [12]. The VA, seemingly based on this limited recognition of Agent Orange's presence in Laos and Cambodia, does not extend the "automatic presumption of dioxin exposure" to the Americans who served in Cambodia and Laos but did not enter Vietnam [12]. A VA spokesperson, confirmed that the "automatic presumption of exposure" extends only to veterans who served in Vietnam.…”

“…Ranch Hand aircraft utilized bases in Thailand throughout the Vietnam War (Figure 6). Operation Ranch Hand used UC-123s that were launched from airbases in Thailand including Ubon, NKP, Udorn, and Takhli on numerous occasions to conduct missions against targets in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam [12].…”

“…The U.S. continues to maintain that the chemicals were not widespread there, despite records indicating otherwise [14] [16]. As a result, the U.S. has offered no assistance to affected Cambodians and Laotians, and constrained benefits to Americans who secretly served in these countries [1] without entering Vietnam (no boots on the ground) [12] but still may have been exposed to dioxin and/or arsenic [16].…”

“…This contradictory American position, perhaps unsurprising, given that it affects the rural residents of two geopolitically marginal countries. However, it also affects some of the Americans who served in Cambodia and Laos [12]. The VA, seemingly based on this limited recognition of Agent Orange's presence in Laos and Cambodia, does not extend the "automatic presumption of dioxin exposure" to the Americans who served in Cambodia and Laos but did not enter Vietnam [12].…”

“…29, 1968, to January 2, 1969, Ranch Hand aircraft (US Air Force) flew Agent Orange missions, out of Udorn Royal Thai Air Force base in support of the United States secret War in Cambodia and Laos[13]. On January 17, 1969, seven Ranch Hand aircraft flew to Ubon to conduct an attack on a special CIA selected target in Laos[12] [14]. From February 2 to 5, 1969, in addition to the CIA classified Open Journal of Soil Science spray missions,…”