Thailand in WWII photos

[King Maker]

My friend is the creator of the Thailand and the Second World War website. Below in this thread are pictures he collected. Some of them you may see on his website, some are not use yet.



Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. A great believer in the forces of progress and fascism, Thailand's wartime premier left an indelible mark on the kingdom's history.

Alliance with Imperial Japan



As a RTAF liasion officer, Flight Lieutenant Thawee Junlasap toured Malaya's various airfields in October 1941. In December he was attached to General Yamashita's headquarters as an observer, and accompanied the Japanese 25th Army down the peninsular to as far as Johore. From left to right: Major Hino, the Japanese embassy's military attaché, Lt. Gen. Suzuki, Yamashita's ADC, Thawee, and Lt. Gen. Yamashita.



The Thai goodwill mission visits Tokyo in April 1942 . From left to right: General Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena, head of the mission, Rear Admiral Thawan Thamrong Nawasawat, Prime Minister Tojo, and Direk Chaiyanam, ambassador to Japan.



The Thai dignitaries aboard a Japanese battleship, April 1942.



Opening ceremony of the Victory Monument, June 24, 1942. Standing behind Phibun, between the Japanese ambassador and Geneneral Nakamura, is Lady La-iad, while directly behind her is the half-German Prayoon Phamornmontri, head of the Yuwachon movement - Thailand's answer to the Hitler Youth. The occidental in the far right appears to be the German naval attache.



Phibun sits in between Lt. Gen. Nakamura and Maj. Gen. Kunitaro Yamada. Behind them are Art Charernsin and Col. Chai Prathipasen.



General Nakamura visits Phayap Army Headquarters in Chiang Mai, 1943. Seated beside him (on the right) is Lieutenant General Jira Wichitsongkhram, GOC of the Phayap Army.



From left to right: Pilot Officer Sangwan Worrasap, Squadron Leader Thawee Junlasap, Major General Ito, Captain Misuno, and Flight Lieutenant Sawai Khachawat. Don Muang aerodrome, 1943.



Tojo visited Bangkok in 1943. The picture above was taken on July 3. The Japanese premier is seated in between Lady La-iad and Field Marshal Phibun.



Representatives of the Thai government inspecting a recently disarmed Japanese garrison, late 1945.

[King Maker]

Nakamura visits the Thai-Indochina command centre at Aranyaprathet, Prachinburi Province.



Thai and Japanese soldiers.



Nakamura visiting Ranong Province, August 1944. In late July Phibun was forced to resign. During this period of uncertainty certain Japanese units were under the impression that a military takeover was underway. In Ranong Province fighting broke out when a Japanese battalion attempted to disarm the local Thai garrison.



Thai and Japanese army engineers working on a section of the Lampang-Chiang Rai railway, April 6, 1943.

[King Maker]

The French-Thai War



Phibun presiding over an irredentist rally organisted by Thai Blood, a popular nationalist organisation. Bangkok, 1940.



Thawan Thamrong Nawasat with volunteers of the Thai Red Cross Society. The women are boarding a train bound for Aranyaprathet. December 1940.



Phibun visits Burapha Army HQ, Aranyaprathet. Saluting him is Major General Mangkorn Phromyothi, the army GOC.



Phibun inspects the border with Indochina, late 1940.



Sailors attempt to extinguish the fires aboard HTMS Thonburi at the battle of Koh Chang.



Sailors of HTMS Chang rescuing survivors aboard the Thonburi.



Officers of the Thonburi.



French legionnaires arriving at Bangkok's Hualampong Station, 1941.



Officers of the 3rd Infantry Battalion. Seated, l to r: Brevet 2nd Lieutenant Porn Thanaphum (CO 3rd Coy), Captain Khun Thongkraijitt (CO 4th Coy), Lieutenant Major Nim Chayodom, Captain Amporn Suaphaithun (CO 2nd Coy), and Captain Udom Wannasiri (CO 1st Coy).



Phibun decorates Major Nim Chayodom for his conduct of the defence of Phum Preav. The ceremony took place in a village some twenty kilometres north of Sisophon at the end of the conflict.



Rear Admiral Yuthasartkoson, Phibun, the Prime Minister, and Colonel Luang Swatdironarong inspect the III/5e REI company standard captured at Phum Preav.

[King Maker]

The 1941 victory parade, held on the Royal Grounds in front of the Grand Palace, was observed by the German, Italian and Japanese embassy staffs. The British and American ambassadors refused to attended.



The Thais used Vickers Mark E type B 6-ton medium tanks and Carden-Loyd tankettes for the conflict with French-Indochina.





The army also unique Vickers open-topped carriers bearing 2pdr guns.



Bofors 150mm howitzers.



A Bofors 75mm anti-aircraft gun.



Truck tolling a Bofors 75mm field gun.



Bofors artillery being tolled by Landsverk tractors.



Browning machinegun.

[King Maker]

Phibun's main rival of the period was the leftist civilian Pridi Phanomyong. His tenure as minister of finance left the country's economy in a healthy state at the start of the Pacific War. He was subsequently removed from the cabinet because of his anti-Japanese stance. As a "powerless" regent he built up the Free Thai underground inside Thailand.





M.R.W. Seni Pramot attaches the Free Thai arm shield to the first batch of OSS-trained Free Thai officers in the grounds of the embassy in Washington.



A group of OSS-trained Free Thai officers pose for the camera. Chicago, December 1943. Left to Right: Sunthorn Sunthrakun, Udom Phatthanapongphanit, Khun Prathumrokhpraharn, Sala Thotsanon, Chalerm Jittinan and Kusa Panyarachun.



SOE-trained Free Thai officers on their way back to England, 1946. From left to right: Prince Karawik Chakraphan, Prince Jiradnai Kitiyakorn, Arun Sorathet, Krit Tosayanon, Prince Phisadet Rachani and Thot Phanthumsen.



Members of the SOE-trained Free Thai pose for the camera. Amphawan Residence, Bangkok, 1945. Seated, left to right: Sawat Sisuk, Prince Karawik Chakraphan, Supharp Yodsunthorn, Puai Ungphakorn, Praphoth Paorohit and Prince Jiradnai Kitiyakorn.

[faf_476]

So nice photos, I admired It as our country are just neighboors!
HEHE LOL!
But really your photos are wonderfull and difinitely rare!

[Doudou]

Hi King Maker,

Where did you find the 2 pictures which show the destructions aboard the "Thonburi", and the one with the officers? Can you tell me who is Commander Luang Prom Viraphan on this picture ?

Have you got other photos on the french-thai war? I'm very interested by this conflict. I'm student and made a master in 2002-2004 on the french-thai war 1940-1941. I encountered some french veterans. I'm looking for thai sources..., specially the complete (year of edition, number of pages, editor...) book of Admiral Jit Songkhaduln named "When the Thonburi fought".

Thanks a lot,

[tom!]

Hi.

Thai Vickers Mark E 6ton tank:



Thai type 95 light tank Ha-Go:



Thai Carden-Loyd tankettes:


Yours

tom!

[Windward]

The Thai dignitaries aboard a Japanese battleship, April 1942.

Isn't that IJN Mikasa, the museum battleship?

[Steen Ammentorp]

Hi King Maker,

I am sure that your friend would appreciate it if you made a link to his site. Please do so.

/Steen Ammentorp

[swan]

Your photo of the Thai Goodwill Mission of 1942 caught my attention. The unnamed fourth person visible behind and between Tojo and Direk is Wanit Pananon, Phibun's personal and most important liaison between himself and the Japanese embassy in Bangkok. At the time of this photo, Wanit was heading a Thai team negotiating financial matters with the Japanese that had begun in Tokyo several weeks before the Goodwill Mission arrived in Tokyo in April 1942, and which lasted several months after the mission left. I would be intrested to know where you located this photograph.
Swan

[BKG]

this is a top thread ! I only knew that TH was an axis nation, but there are very few informations available in europe.
Pls keep posting
kob kuhn krub

Matt

[islandee]

Kingmaker: superb photos. Thanks for making them available.

A possible minor correction: the caption for thaijap5.jpg reads "Thai and Japanese army engineers working on a section of the Lampang-Chiang Rai railway, April 6, 1943."

I believe that "Chiang Rai" should read "Chiang Mai". A friend of mine is interested in private logging railroads in northwest Thailand, and he's not aware of any rail connection, private or public, between Lampang and Chiang Rai --- though we'd both like to learn about one if it did exist.

My own interest in the rail service in northwestern Thailand stems from my trying to trace the IJA routes from Thailand towards Kengtung in support of the Japanese attack on Imphal (and the eventual withdrawal/retreat). I'm curious why Japanese would have been doing work on the rail line on that date: in that general time period, I don't believe the Allies were bombing targets in the area, nor was the IJA yet planning for Imphal. The railroad had been fully staffed by Thais prior to the war.

[Wisarut]

Hi islandee,

As a Thai Citizen, I can pointed out that the photo "Thai and Japanese army engineers working on a section of the Lampang-Chiang Rai railway, April 6, 1943." that it s more likely the construction of the rad from Lampang to Chiang Rai -> Now Highway No. 1 [Phaholyothin Road].

The railway from Lampang to Chiang Mai has been in place since 1 Jan 1922 and it has been regauged to allow meter gauge rolling stocks and locomotives to go to Chiang Mai since 21 Dec 1926.

Even though the metalled road from Lampang to Chiang Rai as been in place since early 1927 as a feeder to Lampang Railway station, it require major reconstruction in 1942 to 1943 to support both RTA and IJA since RTA men in Phayap Army were station in the eastern part of Shan state (Kentung and so on).

Well, after the end of the war RTA men had to walk barefoot from Kentung to Phitsanuloke - first going across many hills and muddy roads before crossing Mae Sai river ... After that, walk barefoot all the way to Lampang along the dirt roads ... and see IJA riding the trains to BKK while RTA men had to walk barefoot along the railway track all the way from Lampang (km 642.29) to Phitsanuloke (km 389.28) to take a special train for RTA men from Phitsanuloke (km 389.28) to their bases which had been dissolved ... and carry the ash of the fallen comrades kept in the bamboo tubes packed in the big box ... Malaria had eaten those RTA men more than Allied bombs and bullets.

It was not until March 1946 that RTA men have reached their home ... After having to learn how to survive with daily allowance of 2 Baht (Prewar: about 0.66 US$ Post War: US$0.10) for 49 months in battlefields ...

For Nakamura visits the Thai-Indochina command centre at Aranyaprathet, Prachinburi Province. -> It is Railway Hotel in Aranyaprathet leased from TSR by IJA. This one has been demolished in 1973 due to the fighting in Cambodia.

Browning machinegun. => Type 66 Heavy machine Guns according to RTA codename which used commissioned year in Buddhist era as a code name.
A Bofors 75mm anti-aircraft gun. => Type 80 anti-aircraft gun according to RTA codename which used commissioned year in Buddhist era as a code name.

The army also unique Vickers open-topped carriers bearing 2pdr guns. => Type 76 anti-aircraft vehicle

The Thais used Vickers Mark E type B 6-ton medium tanks => Type 76 Tank
Carden-Loyd tankettes => Type 73 light tank (or Type 77 light tank)

According to Thai source,Phayap Army had to make a dropping point at Lampang station (km 642.29) and then transport by trucks to Chiang Rai for refreshing before heading to Kentung via Mae Sai. At that time, it took 12 hours for mixed train from Phisanuloke (km 389.28) to reach Lampang (km 642.29) - with 10-minute (actually 30 - 90 minutes) refueling (Water + Firewood) at Uttaradit (km 485.17), and with 10-minute (actually 30 - 90 minutes) watering at Ban Dara Junction (km 458.3), and Ban Pin (km 563.86).

IJA Focused on Southern Railway - at least there are 2-3 daily trains from BKK (km zero) to Padang besar (km 989.89) - and weekly Southern express from BKK to Prai for IJA Top Brasses - However, All the Southern trains had to be back to Thonburi after the air raids of BKK station and the bombing of Bang Sue Yard in Jan - Feb 1944.

In 1944, Paramin Bridge had become a victim on 24-25 Apr 1944 - Uttaradit station alogn with Wang Kraphi sugar mill were the next .. Actually, Lampang also got the bomb in 1 Jan 1944 but the damage was not very much due the proximity to Lamapgn Sugar Mill - compared with Paramin Bridge which has been cut - transshipment needed and Uttaradit station which have been completely obliterated ... Even Chiang Mai station (km 751.42) had not been spared ... it had been completely destroyed at 3 PM of 21 Dec 1943 - compelling all the passenger trains (mixed trains and even Northern Express) to stop at Pa Sao (km 734.64) before moving to pa Yang Loeng (km 742.78) .. ONLY IJA Military trains locos were allowed to go to Chiang Mai for watering and refueling (RTA Military train generally ended at Lampang)

However, Thonburi station had become the victim of the bomb at the night of 5 Mar 1945 - Chumporn station (km 484.58 from BKK) on 19 Mar 1945, Rama 6 Bridge on 7 Feb 1945, Kaeng Khoi on 3 April 1945 ... Wat Liab Power Plant and Samsen Power Plant in BKK on 14 April 1945. ....

[Daniel Laurent]

Dear All,
Khun Wisarut ! You may remember Daniel, I was participating to SCT a while ago. Happy to see you here.

King Maker, may I use some of your photos ? It is to illustrate an editorial that will be online in a French history website.
We already have there something about the Thai-French war in 1941 but I want to complete that.
http://www.histoquiz-contemporain.com/H ... ssiers.htm

By the way, the website you mention was on geocities and is not anymore available. Any new url ?
I need that as if I use some of your photos, I must quote my source

Regards
Daniel