Losing Vietnam: How America Abandoned Southeast Asia

5. Thailand

5 Thailand Thus far, I have discussed affairs in South Vietnam and Cambodia, with only tangential references to Thailand and Laos, both of which had important roles in the wars in Southeast Asia, which were definitely regional conflicts. The common enemy operated extensively in Laos, Cambodia, and South Vietnam and continuously exerted pressure on northeast Thailand. The communication routes inextricably wove the four countries into a single region. For example, the Mekong River convoys, Cambodia’s lifeblood, providing more than 92 percent of its supplies, originated in Thailand, were assembled in Vietnam, and transversed the interdicted part of the river in Cambodia to arrive at Phnom Penh. The major infiltration of men and matériel by the North Vietnamese, which turned the tide of combat in South Vietnam, came through Laos and Cambodia. I will touch on several of the events occurring in Thailand and Laos between 1973 and 1975. The day before I arrived in Bangkok, a student-led movement had suddenly and startlingly toppled the military government on “Bloody Sunday,” 14 October 1973. Seventy persons were killed, and more than eight hundred were wounded. The ruling clique, as the Thais addressed the military leadership, consisted of Premier Thanon Kittikachorn, his powerful son, Colonel Narong (who was the liaison officer from the Queen’s Cobra Infantry Regiment in Vietnam to my division for a year), and Deputy Premier Praphat Charusathien—the trio they called “The Father, the Son, and the Wholly Gross.” Field Marshal Thanon was prime minister, minister of defense, and foreign minister, and Field Marshal Praphat was commander in chief of the army, deputy supreme commander, deputy prime minister, minister of the interior, and acting director general of the Thai National Police Department. The idealist students wanted to turn the country away from this dictatorship and 312 Losing Vietnam toward democracy. When I arrived, Bangkok was relatively calm, but not a policeman or military person could be seen; they had all taken cover. Uniformed Boy Scouts were directing the horrendous traffic for which Bangkok is famous. An interim regime headed by Prime Minister Sanya Thammasak, took office; and a January 1974 national election resulted in the 269 seats in parliament being held by twenty-two different political parties, which made meaningful legislation impossible. Nevertheless, the Thais were working to lay the foundation for a parliamentary democracy. The Sanya government’s major political contribution was the creation of a new constitution, the ninth in this century.266 In July 1974, youths rioted in the Chinese sector of Bangkok, and the civilian government forcefully suppressed the riot; this did much to improve the morale of the security services that had been sorely treated in the October 1973 uprising.267 In demonstrating its ability to maintain law and order, the Sanya government also improved its image and as a result could act with much greater confidence in relations with its critics. And there were many critics, for the new democracy encouraged the public to speak out strongly on a multitude of issues, foremost among which was the U.S. military presence in Thailand. The U.S. military’s relationship with our host country was extremely important. Our ambassador held periodic political-military conferences , at which we discussed such topics as the Indochina Assessment Update, trends in U.S.-Thai relations, special reports of activities, and U.S. base closure problems.268 U.S.-Thai relations were never smooth. In Bangkok, the well-organized Thai students repeatedly staged massive demonstrations against the presence of American forces in their country. In August 1974, the Democrat Party leader, Seni Pramot, said publically that it was not proper for Thailand to help the U.S. transport weapons to Cambodia and urged the abolition of any agreement that Thailand might have with the U.S. government on this matter. He further stated that Thai assistance in transporting weapons undermined Thailand’s claim to neutrality in the Khmer conflict and that it might cause the communist side in Cambodia to seek revenge. Later, in January 1975, the government would not permit the United States to import its rice to Thailand for transshipment to Cambodia, so the airlift support had to be transferred to South Vietnam. Thailand 313 The Thai government was always very concerned about communist aggression in neighboring countries and its effect on Thailand. In July 1974, Thai foreign ministry officials made public their uncertainty about the future stability and security of Asia...