HS5ABD (K3ZO operator) was the 1st 160 Meter Operation from Thailand

When I was first assigned to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand I scoured the city for any other hams and finally located HS3NT, Swath Tschaikuna who was the Rector of the Northern Technical College in Chiang Mai. Swath's college had a broadcasting course of study for students who wanted to go into the field of broadcasting and had a station on 1600 KHz where they could put their stuff on the air. The station had what was probably a quarter-wave vertical stick with a decent ground system underneath, so after we got Thailand off the banned list I proposed to Swath that I try out the tower as an antenna for the upcoming CQWW 160 meter contest. Swath readily agreed so I carted my Drake Line over there and at the appointed time hooked it up to the station's tower and we were off and running. It was slow going and pretty boring but history was made as that was the first time Thailand ever used the 160 meter band. I recall that W6KWE, who is now N6RA, called me after I had called some other station who didn't hear me, so Tom was really on the ball and I believe he is owed the distinction of making the first-ever 160m QSO between the USA and Thailand. But most of the time was spent listening to VK5KO, who I had already worked, calling CQ after CQ without being answered. It was indeed a lonely band over there at that point in history.

Courtesy of K3ZO