Bangkok airplane graveyard becomes home for families

By CNN Staff
1 minute read
Updated 12:51 AM EDT, Wed September 16, 2015
This private lot in eastern Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng neighborhood is filled with pieces of decommissioned commercial jets, including a Boeing 747 fuselage. Photojournalist Taylor Weidman, who's lived in Thailand for two years, captured the following images during a recent visit to the airplane graveyard.
Bangkok's airplane graveyard —
This private lot in eastern Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng neighborhood is filled with pieces of decommissioned commercial jets, including a Boeing 747 fuselage. Photojournalist Taylor Weidman, who's lived in Thailand for two years, captured the following images during a recent visit to the airplane graveyard.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Unable to make enough money to rent a home, three Thai families apparently live in the field's disused airplanes.
Makeshift homes —
Unable to make enough money to rent a home, three Thai families apparently live in the field's disused airplanes.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
The families, including this woman, say they collect and recycle garbage to make a few dollars a day.
Recycling among the ruins —
The families, including this woman, say they collect and recycle garbage to make a few dollars a day.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Among the airplane parts is this decommissioned McDonnell Douglas MD-82, which was once operated by Orient Thai, a domestic low-cost carrier.
McDonnell Douglas —
Among the airplane parts is this decommissioned McDonnell Douglas MD-82, which was once operated by Orient Thai, a domestic low-cost carrier.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
The interior of the planes occupied by the families show a few rudimentary decorations. Here a young woman sits under a picture of the Thai king, while makeshift curtains cover the windows.
Rudimentary decorations —
The interior of the planes occupied by the families show a few rudimentary decorations. Here a young woman sits under a picture of the Thai king, while makeshift curtains cover the windows.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Though the field is private, it's easy to access and has become a popular site for urban explorers.
Urban exploration —
Though the field is private, it's easy to access and has become a popular site for urban explorers.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Preferable to living on the street, the families are able to live rent free and say they aren't too far from a recycling station where they can take the foraged materials they find.
Rent free living —
Preferable to living on the street, the families are able to live rent free and say they aren't too far from a recycling station where they can take the foraged materials they find.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
An elderly Thai woman opens the door to her room in one of the decommissioned jets. While Thailand has experienced strong economic growth in recent years, a wide gap still exists between the country's rich and poor.
Economic divide —
An elderly Thai woman opens the door to her room in one of the decommissioned jets. While Thailand has experienced strong economic growth in recent years, a wide gap still exists between the country's rich and poor.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
The woman also lives with her grandson. Though these families are struggling to make a living in Bangkok, the World Bank says poverty in Thailand is primarily a rural phenomenon. As of 2013, over 80% of the country's 7.3 million poor live in rural areas.
Rural phenomenon —
The woman also lives with her grandson. Though these families are struggling to make a living in Bangkok, the World Bank says poverty in Thailand is primarily a rural phenomenon. As of 2013, over 80% of the country's 7.3 million poor live in rural areas.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
According to locals, the planes are owned by a Thai businessman who has been slowly selling off the equipment piecemeal.
Sold for scrap —
According to locals, the planes are owned by a Thai businessman who has been slowly selling off the equipment piecemeal.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
A young man brings goods into his home in a section of a disused Thai airplane. It's not known how long the families have occupied the old aircraft.
Home comforts —
A young man brings goods into his home in a section of a disused Thai airplane. It's not known how long the families have occupied the old aircraft.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
One of the plane's residents returns home after washing off nearby. Planes such as the 747 found here can typically expect a lifespan reaching three decades if they're properly maintained. Some even longer.
Long service —
One of the plane's residents returns home after washing off nearby. Planes such as the 747 found here can typically expect a lifespan reaching three decades if they're properly maintained. Some even longer.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Dirty oxygen masks on the floor provide a reminder of the planes' former lives in the sky.
Relics of the past —
Dirty oxygen masks on the floor provide a reminder of the planes' former lives in the sky.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Usually, decommissioned aircraft are sent to "boneyards" and salvaged for parts then broken down for scrap. The largest boneyard in the world is said to be located in Tucson, Arizona.
'Boneyards' —
Usually, decommissioned aircraft are sent to "boneyards" and salvaged for parts then broken down for scrap. The largest boneyard in the world is said to be located in Tucson, Arizona.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
The McDonnell Douglas MD-82 was a new and improved version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and dates to 1980. It's a single-aisle medium range aircraft. Production on the MD-80 series ended in 1999. It's not known how old the aircraft in this boneyard are.
Old airplanes —
The McDonnell Douglas MD-82 was a new and improved version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and dates to 1980. It's a single-aisle medium range aircraft. Production on the MD-80 series ended in 1999. It's not known how old the aircraft in this boneyard are.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
A Thai man fans himself with a piece of plastic while listening to a battery-powered radio in his home in one of the disused airplanes.
Resting place —
A Thai man fans himself with a piece of plastic while listening to a battery-powered radio in his home in one of the disused airplanes.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Inside the cockpit of the Bangkok plane graveyard's McDonnell Douglas MD-82, somewhat unsophisticated controls -- by modern standards at least -- give an indication as to the age of the plane.
Cockpit —
Inside the cockpit of the Bangkok plane graveyard's McDonnell Douglas MD-82, somewhat unsophisticated controls -- by modern standards at least -- give an indication as to the age of the plane.
Taylor Weidman/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Airplane graveyard becomes home for families
CNN  — 

Frequent fliers may complain they sometimes feel like they live on board a plane, but that’s the reality apparently facing some otherwise homeless families in Bangkok.

For them, however, there’s none of the relative comforts of modern aviation.

The planes they occupy are derelict wrecks – the skeletons of decommissioned jets, including a Boeing 747, left to rot on private land in Ramkhamhaeng, an eastern neighborhood of the Thai capital.

These images, taken by photojournalist Taylor Weidman, who’s lived in Thailand for two years, document how the planes’ inhabitants seem to be eking out a rough existence, collecting garbage for recycling.

Home comforts, such as they are, appear to be just a few makeshift curtains slung over airplane windows and mats laid on the floor.

It’s a far cry from the dreams of travel, adventure and possibility that airplanes conjure for many.