U-TAPAO, Thailand -- Worapol Tongpricha, a naval rear admiral dressed in a smart business suit, stands in the center of a sprawling former U.S. military base and marvels at its unlikely rehabilitation.
During the Vietnam War, heavily laden American B-52 bombers took off from U-Tapao's 3.5-km runway on raids to flatten enemy targets in Vietnam and Laos. Today, the airstrip and some 27 square km of adjoining land are key elements in a $54 billion plan to transform Thailand's economy.
