CRE
Crown Reunion 2005
for
British and Commonwealth ex-forces personnel (and friends)
associated with the construction of the airfield at
Loeng
Nok Tha
Thailand
Reunion and
grand airfield run (down the runway and back), also a full moon
party at the local market. 15th. December 2005
This year
celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the opening of the
airfield by the then Thai priminister Thanon Kitakachorn and to
celebrate this aniversary I've organised a reunion for anyone
that is interested in revisiting the airfield, the local village
and Ubon. For good measure I've included two extra day trips: one
to Mukdaharn and one to Khao Phra Virharn. The organisation of
the reunion is on a very loose "see you there" basis,
however, there is a
master plan (see: Suggested Itinerary) but this is only for those
who want to be organised.
Suggested Itinerary
- Day 1: Mon. Dec 12th. Assemble
at the Rajapat Hotel, Ubon.
- The hotel is run by staff and students
from the leisure and tourism department of the local
University. There are classrooms in the building for
theoretical studies and also a small museum that gives an
insight into the local history. The cost of bed and
breakfast was 750 baht last year (up from 700 baht the
year before) but if you reckon approx. £10 for the room
(which will sleep two) with breakfast, it's not far
wrong. In my opinion this hotel borders on being
luxurious and is certainly the best value for money in
the area. Not a lot of activity is planned for the first
day although you may recall that down town Ubon has its
attractions. Because there is no bar in the hotel I
suggest an evening meal at a local restaurant for a
getting to know you session.
- Day 2: Tues. Dec 13th. Move to
Leong Nok Tha.
- The bus station for L.N.T. is about 200
yds away, a short walk if you have no luggage. The bus
ride (air-conditioned) takes about two hours but the
journey is no longer the dusty ride over
"laterite" roads with narrow bridges. All of
the road is tarmac and some of it is dual carriageway. In
L.N.T. we will stay at the Huay San Resort, an out of
town resort with its own swimming pool and individual
bungalows set around a small lake. The restaurant is good
and the atmosphere is convivial and very relaxing. The
price of a bungalow here (sleeps two) is about £6 per
night but I think breakfast is extra.
- Day 3: Wed. Dec. 14th. Visit to
airfield and Ban Kok Samlan. (Ban Kok Telat)
- A 15-minute ride in a tuk-tuk gets you to
the old airfield and the camp. There is not a lot to see
but the runway is still there and also some other
features that you may recognise. Ban Kok Telat itself,
has changed and seems to be more crowded, more compact
but perhaps my memories of 40 years ago are somewhat
distorted. When I was last there (Jan 2005) they were
constructing a dual carriageway through the village.
There are still many people living there who remember CRE
Crown and even one or two who worked in the camp. When I
showed an old photo of two boot boys polishing my boots,
one of them turned out to be a girl but they were both
still living in the village.
- Day 4: Thurs. Dec 15th. Reunion
lunch & Evening Party.
- Today is the full moon and weather
permitting; we will have an evening party in the Market
Square in Leong Nok Tha. Hopefully, there will be beer,
cakes, Thai curry and the traditional dish of Issan: som
tam, kai yang and cow neow (spicy papaya salad, barbecued
chicken and sticky rice). Full moon parties usually
feature a lot more than this, but I think that at the age
of 64 I'm past the age of being enthusiastic about s*x
and dru*s, especially after one or two beers.
- Day 5: Fri. Dec 16th. A Free
Day.
- Today there is nothing organised so it's
up to you. Maybe back to the village or the airfield, or
lazing by the pool. A chance to refresh.
- Day 6: Sat. Dec 17th. Day trip
to Mukdaharn.
- About 2 hours on the bus (air-conditioned)
gets you to Mukdaharn on the banks of the Mekong River.
There are many things to do here including climbing the
tower (new since 1985) and shopping at the Indo-Chinese
market (silver is supposed to be a good buy). It was here
that in 1976 American soldiers caught the biggest fresh
water fish in the world and there are many pictures of it
and the 21 soldiers it took to lift it.
- Day 7: Sun. Dec 18th. Return to
Ubon.
- Today it's the bus back to Ubon to return
to the Rajapat Hotel. No other excursions are planned
today but this may be the last chance to see downtown
Ubon.
- Day 8: Mon. Dec 19th. Trip to
Khao Pra Virharn.
- This is an optional trip to a spectacular
ancient Kymer Temple. This temple is one of many, set
along ancient Kymer routes radiating from Anchor Wat.
There are lots of them in this area but this one is
perched atop a 547m cliff. It is difficult to reach (no
bus service) and it is situated in Cambodia but the only
access is in Thailand. This means that you have to pay
two entrance fees (one to Thailand and one to Cambodia).
However it's worth making the effort to see it.
Approximate cost of the trip £25 - £30 each, depending
on transport.
- Day 9: Tue. Dec. 20th.
Dispersal or follow-on holiday.
- Planes from the airport or trains from the
station can whisk you away to Bangkok and then back to
the UK but I will be staying. I find Thailand absolutely
fascinating and my visa is a one-year multi-entry one.
There are things to do and places to go and I intend to
go there and do them. Should you contemplate doing the
same I'll be only too happy to offer help and advice.
Useful Web Sites
- http://www.forcesreunited.org.uk/ Forces Reunited site
- http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights Cheap Flights to Thailand
- http://asiatravel.com/thailand/airticket/airfare.html Thai airways internal flights
- http://www.thaismile.co.uk/ Thai tourism advise site
- http://www.thaiconsul-uk.com/
Thai visa application details and forms
- http://www.learningthai.com/index.html
A basic Thai language site
- http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=51
Loads of other information (especially health care)
- http://www.thaivisa.com
Up to date topical forum
I served with 59 Field Squadron from 1963 to
1966 and was posted to Thailand Feb '64. I eventually returned
home in June '66. My jobs on the airfield included helping to
erect the main camp and operating a bull-dozer and other
construction plant. I drank much Tiger beer. After leaving the
Army I remained in Construction Plant and eventually finished up
teaching Plant Maintenance at a Technical College. Now I am
retired I look forward to spending each winter in Thailand.
One off
costs
|
Cheaper
|
Dearer
|
| Flight |
£440.00 |
£600.00 |
| Insurance |
£55.00 |
£120.00 |
| Visa |
free |
£40.00 |
Travel BKK-UBON
|
£6.00
|
£30.00
|
| Weekly costs |
|
|
| Accommodation (for
2) |
£54.00 |
£90.00 |
| Food & Drink,
laundry, travel etc |
£55.00 |
£80.00 |
| Total (for 4 weeks) |
£937.00 |
£1,470.00 |
The Thai Immigration Authority will issue a 30
day tourist visa to UK citizens on arrival. This costs nothing
and is issued at the port of arrival (usually Bangkok airport).
Other tourist visas are available but cost money. After 30 days
there is nothing to stop you leaving the country (eg. Malaysia)
and re-entering immediately to get another 30 day visa. For full
details access the Thai Consulate web site (see Useful Web Sites)
The staff and students of the
local Rajapat University operate this popular hotel. It is
dedicated in honour of the Golden Jubilee of his Majesty the King
to local art and culture. The hotel makes an ideal place for
people joining the reunion to start their holiday. It is a short
bus ride from the railway terminus and there are regular flights
to Bangkok from the local airport and as most people remember
it's about a 2 hour bus ride from Leong Nok Tha. Check out the picture at
In Thailand the full moon plays a significant
part in the local festivities and often the Buddhist festival is
aligned with it. In December the heat and humidity are, at least,
tolerable and because the cost of an airline ticket rises at
Christmas, I have set the reunion party for the evening of the
full moon in December. This will give you the opportunity to
return to the UK for Christmas or to enjoy a follow on holiday in
Thailand. With a 6 month visa, I will be staying for the rest of
the winter
In the village there are still several workers
who were employed at the camp so bring your old photos and see
how many of the locals can recognise themselves. In the past 40
years there have been many changes, so me of the people you knew
might have moved on and some may have died. If you cannot speak
the language then a picture is the best way of reminiscing with
the locals.
Electronic mail address
[email protected]
I am now in Thailand and can be contacted on my mobile
+66 (0) 78794511
Sign Guestbook
View Guestbook
Last revised: July 26, 2005.