KODACHROME TRANSPARENCIES OF BANGKOK AND VICINITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500670038-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 2003
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: February 14, 1956
• Content Type: FORM

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PRESENTATION FORM FOR GRAPHIC MATERIAL
DATE
(Submit in triplicate with pro-..e ss sheet attached)
14 February 1956
DIST: GRID. GRAPHICS; DUPL-CASE FILE; TRIPL- SOURCE FILE; Q(/AD-FO RECORD
GIFT ? LOM
AREA
Thailand
SUBJECT
Kodachrome Transparencies of Bangkok and Vicinity
NUMB OF ITEMS , negatives, or slides)
CHECK CLASSIFICATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS WHEN SEPARATED FROM THIS FORM. (The classification need not be the t.amo4
= SECRET
CONFIDENTIAL RESTRICTED UNCLASSIFIED
Yes Q No
Yes r--7 No
DESCRIPTION OF MATERIAL
See attached liats.
On loan. To be returned on or about 16 Mar 56.
FOR HEADQUARTERS USE ONLY
ATE FORWARDED TO GR BY GMP
ETURN DEADLINE IIF LOAN,
I Z 11.1/ ).~%t 1- 5, CO
NITRATE FILM EXPLOSIVE-SHIP By EXPRESS UNDER SPECIAL CARRIER REGULATIONS
FORM MO. FED 1969 51-27 PREVIOUS EDITIONS NOT TO BE USED. k p`a~ u~y
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K 0 D A C H R 0 M E S
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File No. 1, Bangkok
#5 Moving picture house.
11 #9
View of Rajadamern Avenue taken in the afternoon looking south.
This road runs between king's palace and parliament and is a
copy of Champs d'Eysses (Paris). Business buildings can be seen
and to the left of center is the old city wall. The direction
of the photo is: from the river toward the business section of
the city.
State cooperative store. Local merchants sell their products
at what they consider to be a fair price. Anyone can se31
higher orlower but the people know they can get a fair price
at the government cooperative store. Photo taken in the
afternoon.
Typical stretch of middle-class Bangkok native houses bordering
canal. Each one has its own bridge and farms. Photo taken in
the afternoon looking north about two miles from the center of
the city.
Typical street scene showing Buddhist priests in orange with
begging bags, student in the center looking at the priests,
and two policemen to the left of center. Cart is an ambulating
restaurant. Monument to Democracy can be seen in background.
Taken same time of day looking south.
It X11 Never aide of Rajadamern Avenue. Thais had hoped this street
would become +I,- 1-, i
e
" #10
#15 View of portion of Thai navy and navy yard. Chao Menon Phya
us near center, but the people are not used
to this idea so it is not setting the business. It is after-
noon and street is practically desolate. People still prefer
to b in a hand-to-mouth manner using shopping bags.
#12 Chinese merchants' street on their only one-day holiday (New
Year's Day) looking south toward the Giant Swing (Hindu religion).
11 #19
River looking north. It's about 15 miles above the river bar.
Building showing government information center on right. In
foreground typical vegetable washing by natives in canal prior
to selling them in the market. About 1 P.M.
View of a floating fruit market taken in the A.M. from the
land side.
Same as Photo #12, a market street.
Typical Thai (flee) market.
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File No. 1 (Continued)
Photo #35 Typical Thai waalthy house showing open area below, living
quarters on first floor, and top floor only for ventilation
and coolness. House is surrounded by sapling bamboo poles
and is situated about five miles from the center of town.
#36 Typical upper or middle-class house about five miles from the
center of town. Lawn in right-hand corner shows water-catching
trough piped from home. Note two-car garage. No glass or
screen used in most Thai houses.
from which house water is taken. Picture showsowomaane employed
water bearer for three or four cents per can. This sup-
plements sup-
plements the frequent use of canal water for household purposes.
Streets are paved with curbing. Curbs and undersurface drains
are becoming more common. Pressure of hydrants is fairly
substantial. Alluvial plain is sour because salt water can
back into it. Artesian wells are found here. A better grade
of water can be found 300 or 400 feet below the surface of
the earth.
Photo #2 Junction of new road (to the right) and main Chinese section
street. Taken about midday.
#4 One of 300 or 400 hydrants in downtown section f
#10 Chinese gold shop in rear. At front can be seen Thai vegetable
and fruit stands. Note filth on streets.
#13 Shop beggar on street. In all only about 12 or 13 of these
shop beggars were seen in Thai during my eight months' stay
there.
#14 Poor section market area. This is a very typical scene and
miles of the same can be seen throughout the city. It serves
the poor people. Notice filth around the stands and street.
#15 Typical scene of filth seen for miles along the Bangkok canal.
This photo was taken in the downtown section of the city and
the native homes can be seen.
#17 Additional filth in canal showing typical native construction
about one mile north of the Golden Mount. Picture was taken
in the afternoon.
#23 Dry goods (flee) market in Thai.
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File No. 2 (Continued)
Pbrito
#30 Warm afternoon view of market place with sidewalk restaurant.
File No. 3, Bangkok
Photo #9 Group of Chinese squatter homes in the middle of the campus
o
f th U
#10
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Photo #1 Canal section on river opposite from Bangkok going into jungle.
This is an early morning picture looking west. Note the inter-
section of two canals, telephone lines, and, typical crossroads
store.
n
iveraity of Chula Longkorn. The government has
been unable to force them to more. This is just a source of
pollution and an eyesore right in the middle of this really
remarkable campus.
King presenting a degree to a student from 'Thamasat. Priests
in rear with orange robes and two cabinet ministers in front.
Student is bowing as he takes degree. King is in the doctor's
robe.
Same city wall seen before outside moving picture house l
ki
oo
ng
toward Golden Mount. This is mid-Rajadamern.Avenue.
I
File No. 5, Bangkok
Typical wharf scene on canal with typical vessels. Start of
jungle in upper right-hand corner. Boat with canopy is either
a taxi or ferry.
Typical floating market scene at edge of jungle on canal.
Another canal waterfront scene showing freight and passenger
boat from interior and also showing thatched roof broken.
This is typical of roof construction. Modern roof construction
in Thai follows sectional lines.
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Early morning going north on west side of river showing jungle
cut by canal.
N FHDENNo1 A P
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File No. 5 (Continued)
Photo #11 Typical native house on bank of canal. Teak piling, thatched
roof, flower garden and wharf can be seen.
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#12
#14
Another typical house showing increased use of corrugated tin
aiding. Source of tin probably Japan. Natives on boat are
bartering for goods which is customary marketing procedure.
TLiitttle if any money is ever used. This is 'typical of interior
Typical native rice boat showing family quarters at rear.
Note helmsman on shelf. Note alas cor*ugated top to rice boat.
Corrugated tin also used for roofing.
#16 Typical Jungle clearing along side of canal or river to be used
for truck garden products, e.g. carrots, sweet potatoes,
cabbages, as well as bananas and coconuts. 'I
#18 Additional view of canal within Bangkok city limits. Note
grade of bank; roads on both sides of canal. City canal
maximum depth eight feet gradually decreasing as time extends
after dredging.
#21 Floating fruit market within Bangkok.
#28 One hundred miles north and slightly east above Bangkok.
Boats bring wood and rice down to Bangkok. 11 It is an over-
night or a full-day's trip. This waterway is a river.
#29 River scene north of Sara Buri showing with wooded high banks.
the typical river craft
1~ Typical farmhouse in rice paddy about 50 to 60 miles southeast
of Bangkok showing fishing nets lowered and raised
Ph t
o
#31
#32
#34
0
taken in December 1954. Taken about midday,l'
Scene of farmer taking rice to government rice monopoly mill.
Rice farmer's home in rear.
Scene about 100 miles north of Bangkok showing river loading
of charcoal wood for transportation to city.1 Twenty-five
foot bank near Sara Buri. Photo taken from a bridge.
Picture of a bullock cart used everywhere inl'Thai. Width of
wheel and height of axle are to provide passage during monsoon
period. Near Sara Buri.
#35 View of mountains to the northeast of Bangkok near Sara Buri
(possibly below it because of river). Shows the end of the
alluvial plain of which Bangkok is center. Not much vegetation.
rCsy~~, a~g
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File No. 5; (Continued)
Photo #35 Very dry. Xenon Chao Phya River is on near side of mountain;
(Continued) Mekhong River on other aide as seen in photo.
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#15
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#22
Scene showing typical canal Scene with wooden sidewalk and
typical construction illugtr,-ting addjjional use of
corrugated tin. This characterises was of J3se for perhaps
one out of every four persona ig Y$.ngkos.
Government rice monopoly mil]. a few mile* northeast of
Bangkok.
Rice godown in conjunction with government ricemill.
Typical river bank settlement in vicinity of Bangkok.
Photo showing multi-purpose use of canal. Note bathing,
washing, and large jugs to catch rainwater.
#23 Typical canal scene within four to five miles of Bangkok.
Note dense undergrowth on canal to edge.
#f25 Another shop. Photo ahowa broken roof of corrugated tin
construction.
#31 Bangkok--foot bridge about 200 yards from river over canal
within middle-class native area.
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