By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE THAI air force has been quietly keeping a close watch on China’s current development of an airbase in northwestern Laos close to a shared border of Thailand, according to air force chief ACM Seksan Kantha.
However, ACM Seksan today (Oct.12) declined to elaborate on his rare comment about China’s upgrading of Ban Keun airbase in Thoulakhom district of Vientiane province, about 40km from the Thai side of the border in Nong Khai, with unspecified, modern aviation facilities.
The airbase near the Lao capital which could possibly be upgraded to the extent that it poses a future threat to Thailand’s airborne security currently locates the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Centre.
The Vietnam War-era airbase had been previously used by the Central Intelligence Agency’s Air America’s secret missions in the war-torn country.
Satellite imagery has shown eight Chinese/Pakistani-built, Hongdu JL-8 two-seater trainer/light-attack jets parked in vicinity of the runway of the upgraded airport which could probably be China’s first air force installation outside of Asia’s superpower country in addition to Ream naval base in Cambodia and on the Gulf of Thailand and another naval base in Djibouti in northeastern Africa.
China has been invariably expanding its military strategic footholds over the Southeast Asian region in purported rivalry with the United States.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: An image from Vantor shows aircraft at a new joint China-Laos installation in Ban Keun, Laos. Photo – Vantor and published by CNN
Insert: Air force chief ACM Seksan Kantha. Photo – Naewna
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