Okay, first thing first, let’s get something straight:
Similar to the idea of Finnish lineups as part of Swedish Tech Tree, Siam-Thailand lineups don’t have to include every single vehicle used by Royal Siamese-Thai Armed Forces. I do understand your concerns regarding the appearance of Chinese vehicles there, and, if that’s such a problematic case, I don’t and won’t ask for those vehicles to be included.
Please, for the love of Buddha, don’t talk or discussing political topics or topics regarding sensitive stuff. This thread and discussion’s aims are to discuss the vehicles that can be introduced as a part of Thai-Siamese lineups and exchange idea and knowledge. Please be considerate, and respect other fellow War Thunder Players, after all, we are here to have fun, shoot some guns and fire a lot of missiles.
With that out of the way, let’s discuss.
Kingdom Of Thailand, previously known as Siam.
The discussion regarding Siamese-Thai linesup is not something new, and, in fact, has been with the War Thunder for quite a long time. Since the introduction of War Thunder as a game focused on 2nd World War combats and vehicles, the idea and discussion regarding the introduction of Thai vehicles have been occasionally put forth and widely discussed by War Thunder Players, Thai and others alike, due to its role in the Pacific Theater, locally called สงครามมหาเอเชียบูรพา (Greater East Asia War).
As one of the major independent nations in South East Asia during that time, Thailand boasted a huge number of vehicles and war machines, many of which were locally produced or licensed from other nations like France and USA. As the war progress, Thailand began to purchase more and more Japanese aircrafts and tanks, due to its closeness, both geographically and politically. Thailand’s relationship and approach toward Japan drastically changed after the briefly fought/5-hour firefight Japanese invasion of Thailand, ending with Thailand’s alliance with Japan and becoming part of the Axis power until the end of 2nd World War, assisting Japan in land invasion of South East Asia, as well as declaring war on Allied powers.
During the interwar and Second World War, Siam, and then Thailand, had a vast arsenal of vehicles, especially in the aircraft department, beginning with locally built Niuport 11 and Hawk 2/3 to the imported Ki-43 and Spitfire
At the end of the 2nd world war, Thailand, as a part of the defeated, had to pay war reparations to Allied powers as well as return the territories seceded from French Indochina and allied during the second world war and the Franco-Thai War Prior. As the Cold War loomed, similar to Japan, Thailand became a strategic partner to US, the alliance and cooperation of which peaked during Vietnam War, leading to Thailand becoming the massive importer and modifier of American vehicles, creating and modernizing their variants to suit the local needs, as well as the hosting nation for the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO)
To this day, Thailand still continues to come up with new designs and modifications for the existed inventory, with the F-5TH Super Tigris upgrade for F-5 that will push its limit even further, rivelling that of 4.5 Gen aircraft.
I will re-iterate this again, I support a Sub-tree for Japan and Thailand alongside the Philippines are the best options, the COIN & Heil TT draft is in the woodworks but progress will be slow due to finding sufficient data on especially on some of the COIN aircraft and also i am working on another project
In my knowledge, for the modern self-propelled SAM platforms, while Thai mostly employs the fixed SAM sites, there have been quite a lot of proposals and prototypes of mounted SAM platforms.
The proposed R600 platform with SAMs capability, indigenous Thai design
Starstreak/LML on a Thairung MU4 (Based on a Toyota Hilux Vigo/ Isuzu D-Max)
Thailand also has ADATS, but a static one.
When it comes to AA, Thai utilizes quite a lot of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Here, are examples;
M163 VADS IMI Upgraded
Classic Thai Type 76 SPAAG
Thai T17 with a Japanese 20mm AT gun
But if you ask about SAM, Surface-To-Air-Missile, systems used by Thailand, the list can be quite long.
For example;
Navy:
Selenia Aspide: For Ratanakosin Class corvettes
RIM-162 ESSM: For Bhumibol Adulyadej-class frigate and frigate Naresuan
Mistral: For SADRAL launchers on aircraft carrier Chakri Naruebet
RIM-66 SM-2: For Bhumibol Adulyadej-class frigate
Army:
VL MICA
Starstreak
9K38 Igla
Also, I just stumbled across the image of TH-301 undergoing evaluation by Thai Armed Forces
Also, fun fact, HTMS Chakri Naruebet Aircraft Carrier, Thai Navy’s Pride of the fleet, is quite smaller compared to many of Battleships existing in the game currently, with only 182.65 m (599.2 ft) in overall length.
Thanks for correcting, I mistook it for a Humvee when I looked up the Type 51. Apparently, someone said that it was inspired by Humvee so I mistook it for the Humvee. (Apparently many people also often get confused between Humvee and Type 51 as well)
That one is the HTMS Thonburi, the first of her class. It was built along side her sister ship, HTMS Sri Ayudhya, by Kawasaki. Her main guns were four 8-inch (203 mm)/50 caliber guns mounted in two twin turrets, the guns of which were the left over from the Japanese modernization effort of Kaga and Akagi, making the 2 sister ships the most powerful ships in Royal Thai Navy’s arsenal at the time.
HTMS Thonburi
Her sister ship HTMS Sri Ayudhya
HTMS Thonburi participated in Battle of Koh Chang during Franco-Thai war and was wrecked by Duguay-Trouin-class light cruiser Lamotte-Picquet (Duguay-Trouin-class light cruiser is currently a premium gift rank III French light cruiser with a battle rating of 4.7 in War Thunder). After it was wrecked, HTMS Thonbouri was later repaired and used as a training ship as well as a floating command post. In the end, HTMS Thonburi was later stricken in 1959, with part of of her bridge and forward gun turret being preserved as a memorial at the Royal Thai Naval Academy alongside other of her relics.
New Naval Map: Battle Of Koh Chang (1941): The most important naval engagement of Franco-Thai War which saw the French navy fighting against Royal Thai Navy, consisting of most Japanese built ships.
The potential highest tier tank for the Thai Ground Lineup, M60A3 TIFCS
Modernized and upgraded by Elbit Systems in 2015, Thai M60A3 TIFCS boasts the modernized and modified fire control system like that of Merkava mk.4. From my understanding and other sources, besides its upgraded fire control system, M60A3 TIFCS also has other features and upgrades, including a Stabilized Thermal Sight (TIFCS) for enhanced day and night operations, an Electrical Gun & Turret Drive System (EGTDS), and a Head Mirror Assembly (HMA) for improved fire control. The tank’s main armament, the M68 105 mm gun, was equipped with a new thermal sleeve. The Index Loader system allowed quicker and easier reloading.
Besides the Royal Thai Army M60A3 TIFCS, Thai army also houses several types of M60s such as M60A1 RISE Passive, as well as, M60A3 TTS, making the M60s series of tanks one of the most iconic tanks in Thai Armed Forces’ history
I think all the vehicles should be added. Including the ones coming from China. Those were export vehicles and they should be featured. The argument that those vehicles shouldn’t be added because they are from China is simply absurd. We shouldn’t pander to those people.
I think otherwise. After all, if the Chinese players are not comfortable with seeing their vehicles in the tech tree of Japan, even if it’s in Siamese-Thai lineups, it’s understandable to compromise with them on that without damaging the integrity or validity of the lineups.
Furthermore, in my knowledge, most Chinese Vehicles utilized by RTA are/were the direct versions of their Chinese original, with nearly identical spec and nearly no history of modification, unlike the Japanese or US vehicles utilized by Thai armed forced which were and are significantly modified or utilized in specific way that made them quite different from the original one, notably F-5TH Super Tigris and Royal Thai Army M60A3 TIFCS.
The Chinese Vehicles used by RTA, in my opinion, would be better off as Chinese Tech Tree Collectible premiums/squadron vehicles, similar to M1 KVT in the US Tech Tree.
China has US vehicles too, since they were exported to Taiwan. They weren’t intended to fight alongside the PRC. This is fine in the realms of the Taiwanese part of the Chinese tree. So I don’t see why a few Chinese vehicles used by Thailand shouldn’t be in a subtree for Japan. These seem like a rather similar situation.
Taiwanese players can form their lineup, why make Thai players jump between tech trees for partially complete lineups? China shouldn’t be the holy nation of exclusivity. They export their vehicles, like the US or Russia, so just like them their exported vehicles can end up in other trees as well.
It’s not like China would lose anything. They will get those vehicles in their own trees as well.
Introducing the Thai Air Lineup candidates, F-5 Series.
Re-Turn Of The King
Since its introduction, Japanese Air Tree and its vehicles have been called many thing; The Paper Planes, Origamis With Guns, Pea Shooters (Not the American one), but one thing that’s for sure is their ability to out turn any opponent they face, be it British Hurricane or Soviet Yak, if they face Japanese planes, they better hope their bamboo guns jam before those paper planes can line up their shots.
However, as the tech trees expands and high tier jets were introduced, Japanese Air tree began to lose its position as the “Turn king”, a title of which wouldn’t be restored until the introduction of F-16AJ. By introducing Thai F-5s to the Japanese Air Tree as parts of Thai Air Lineup, Japanese Air tech tree will not only have its gaps filled, but also be able to keep its place in the turn game as well!
A “gift” from the United States of America, M48 family of tank was offered to Thailand during the later stage of the Cold War, with the M48A5 officially used by the armed forces in the year 1979. M48, as well as M41, has witnessed several key events throughout modern Thai history, from the battlefield of northeastern Thailand to the coup in the street of Bangkok.
As of current, most of the M48s in Thai Armed Forces’ services are M48A5 and M48A5PI, “Early conversions of M48A1 hulls to the M48A5 standard. Retained the AVDS-1790-2A engine, CD-850-5A transmission and T97 track. All were further upgraded in 1976 with components from the M60A1 RISE Hull PIP Update Kit and redesignated M48A5.” (Hunnicutt, 2015.), while most of the M41A3s in Thai service will soon be replaced by VT-4 from China.
Royal Thai Army M48A5 21st Cavalry Battalion, 6th Infantry Division
Let’s not forget the most powerful tank of all time… the digital camouflage Type 83. It’s clearly a modern tank because of the digital pattern trust me, 12.0.
