The Creation of VOA Udon Thani Station in Thailand

[ไกรสิทธิ์]

The goal of VOA Udon Thani was to promote American values and democracy globally. However, the station's history has been marred by controversy. The Udon Thani station's license expired on September 30, 2016, and it was not until 2017 that the Thai government extended the cooperation period until September 30, 2023. Rumors surfaced alleging that the Udon Thani station had ties to the CIA and served as a secret CIA prison facility similar to Guantanamo Bay.

[วรพจน์]

While the Voice of America (VOA) shortwave station in Udon Thani, Thailand, was intended to promote American values and democracy, it has been overshadowed by allegations of being a secret CIA prison facility.

In 2002, the CIA admitted to operating secret prisons in Thailand. According to the director of the CIA at the time, Gina Haspel, Abu Zubaydah, a top lieutenant of Osama bin Laden, was arrested at a Thai airport and subjected to various torture practices, including waterboarding. These revelations led to concerns that the VOA Udon Thani station may have been involved in or complicit with these activities.

While it is unclear how much truth there is to these allegations, they have caused distrust between the United States and Thailand. In 2016, the Udon Thani station's license expired, and it was not until 2017 that the Thai government agreed to extend the cooperation period until September 30, 2023, after the US provided $1.5 million in funding.

[ภัทรวลัย]

Rumors surfaced alleging that the Udon Thani station had ties to the CIA and served as a secret CIA prison facility similar to Guantanamo Bay.
"Rumors "? I think it's really just a rumor！

[ชนินทร์]

BBC ever published an article in 2018 which title is ”CIA director Gina Haspel's Thailand torture ties”,obviously,it's not rumor.

[deankham]

I thought VOA meant visa on arrival. For a minute had hopes this post was going to be about Udon Airport starting international flights or allowing customs clearance for international connections from BKK.

Seems I was wrong...

[FrazeeDK]

the allegations have been debunked numerous times.. I've been out to the place a number of times as early as 1997 and with contract Thai security guards on it any midnight runs would have been the talk of the town the next day.. If anything, with landings of rendtion aircraft at Udon airport several times logged, if there was a confinement facility if was likely on the base where minimal transportation and exposure would hide such a facility. But, to my recollection the landing of known rendition aircraft happened perhaps only 2-3 times.

[Bandung_Dero]

Spare me days! Here we go again and who are these 4 new members with only an initial post? Gotta be one and the same person joined on the same day. OR a TROLL!!

[tamada]

the allegations have been debunked numerous times.. I've been out to the place a number of times as early as 1997 and with contract Thai security guards on it any midnight runs would have been the talk of the town the next day.. If anything, with landings of rendtion aircraft at Udon airport several times logged, if there was a confinement facility if was likely on the base where minimal transportation and exposure would hide such a facility. But, to my recollection the landing of known rendition aircraft happened perhaps only 2-3 times.

After the presence was leaked, the CIA's Udon Thani 'rendition room' was moved off the Wing 23 campus at RTAF request. It relocated to a building adjacent to the airport/ring road junction, on the other side of the (former) Udon Tap's large car park. It was mostly hidden in plain sight by the large advertising hoardings facing the main road.

Local's did talk about unusual vehicle movements and some claim to have heard disturbing noises but of course the latter could have been DM's Jack Russell's.