to handle more passengers. Military use As well as being a commercial facility, Surat Thani Airport is an active RTAF base, the home of 4th Air Division/7th Wing Air Combat Command. 701 Squadron, "Shark", flies twelve SAAB JAS-39 C/D Gripen fighter aircraft. 702 Squadron operates two airborne early warning (AEW) and two transport SAAB SF340 airplanes. A further two SF340s are on order. Accidents and incidents On 11 December 1998, Thai Airways Flight 261, an A310-200 (HS-TIA), bound for Surat Thani from Bangkok, was making its third landing attempt in heavy rain when it crashed into a rice paddy about from the airport; 101 of the 146 passengers and crew aboard were killed. References External links Surat Thani Airport at Thaiflyingclub.com – includes pictures Technical details on Surat Thani Airport Aviation Savety Network on the 1988 crash Surat Thai Airport Statistics (Thai) Surat Thani Airport History (Thai) Airports in Thailand Buildings and structures in Surat Thani province Airports established in 1981