SPECULATIONS ON US BASES IN THAILAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910009-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: February 23, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700910009-4
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BANGKOK 08852
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: MARR, PREL, TH, US
SUBJECT: SPECULATIONS ON US BASES IN THAILAND
REF: A) FBIS BK 151022, B) FBIS BK 150916,
- C) BANGKOK 71959 (NOTAL)
1. (U) THE RECENT ELECTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES, SENATOR
DOLE'S PLAN TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION CALLING FOR A DOD
FEASIBILITY STUDY ON US BASES, AND A COMMENT BY A THAI
CABINET MINISTER HAVE TOUCHED OFF A NEW ROUND OF FRONT
PAGE SPECULATION AND COMMENT ABOUTTHE POSSIBILITY OF
THE "REESTABLISHMENT OF US BASES" IN THAILAND.
STRESSING ISSUES OF SOVEREIGNTY, CULTURAL POLLUTION AND
FOREIGN POLICY, MUCH OF THE COMMENTARY IN THE PRESS AND
BY THAI OFFICIALS HAS STRONGLY OPPOSED THE IDEA. THERE
HAS BEEN SOME, ALBEIT LIMITED, FAVORABLE COMMENTARY
WHICH HAS EMPHASIZED POSSIBLE ECONOMIC AND SECURITY
BENEFITS OF HOSTING US BASES AT A TIME WHEN THAILAND
FACES A WORSENING ECONOMIC SITUATION AND INCREASED
SOVIET SUPPORT FOR AND PRESENCE IN VIETNAM.
2.8(U) DEPUTY PRIME ME
PSTERGSONTHI DUNYACHAI BEGAN THE
RENEWED SPECULATION ON FEBRUARY 13 BY OPINING IN A PRESS
INTERVIEW (REF A) THAT "NO MATTER WHO WILL HEAD THE NEXT
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT, THE RELOCATION OF THE TWO (US)
BASES SEEMS LIKELY," AND COUNSELING THAT THE RTG SHOULD
PREPARE ITSELF FOR A US APPROACH TO MOVE THEIR MILITARY
OCA
INCOMING
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700910009-4
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BASES IN THE PHILIPPINES TO THAILAND" SINCE IT "IS VERY
LIKELY" THAT THE US IS LOOKING AT THAILAND AS A POSSIBLE
HOST. SONTHI REPORTEDLY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE US
MIGHT ATTEMPT TO USE BASE REESTABLISHMENT AS A TRADE-OFF
FOR LENIENCY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF PROTECTIONIST
LEGISLATION LIKE THE FOOD SECURITY ACT ("FARM BILL").
DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER ACM PHANIANG KANTARAT, PROBABLY
IN RESPONSE TO PRESS PRODDING FOR A REACTION TO SONTHI'S
REMARKS, A DAY LATER ATTEMPTED TO THROW WATER ON THE
SPARKS SNTHI HAD STIRRED UP. HE NOTED THAT WHILE THE
US MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THE IDEA, IT HAD TO OBTAIN
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL, OFFICIALLY RAISE THE MATTER WITH
THE RTG, AND CONSIDER THE "LESSONS" IT HAD LEARNED FROM
THAI STUDENT ACTIVISTS IN THE MID 1970'S--"THAT THEY
WERE NOT WANTED." HE ALSO CAUTIONED THAT THAI PUBLIC
OPINION. QUESTIONS OF SOVEREIGNTY AND INTEGRITY, AND
OTHER FACTORS WOULD NEED TO BE WEIGHED CAREFULLY IF
THERE WAS SUCH A REQUEST FROM THE US" (REF B). WITH
CHARACTERISTICALLY CUTTING WIT, FORMER PRIME MINISTER
KHUKRIT PRAMOT, WHO PRESIDED OVER THE DISMANTLING OF US
BASES IN THAILAND IN 1976, REACTED TO SONTHI'S REMARKS
BY SAYING THAT IF THEY "HAD COME FROM A GRANDMA SELLING
RICE AND CURRY, THEY WOULD HAVE CAUSED LAUGHTER, AND
POSSIBLY A JOKE ABOUT HOW SHE WOULD FEEL ABOUT HER
DAUGHTER."
3. (U) IN LICMIED COMMENT FROM PARLIAMENTARIANS NOTED
THUS FAR, AN OPPOSITION THAI NATION PARTY (TNP) MP FROM
CHAIYAPHUM, SIHANAT LUCHA, TOLD A THAI DAILY ON FEBRUARY
18 THAT HE STRONGLY OPPOSED REESTABLISHMENT OF US BASES,
BECAUSE THAILAND WOULD "SUFFER FROM SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
DECLINE", US ABUSE OF ITS PRIVILEGES, AND WOULD BECOME A
POTENTIAL MILITARY TARGET. HE ALSO REASONED THAT THE
MOVE WOULD TOUCH.OFF A REGIONAL ARMS RACE AND HINDER
THAILAND'S FOREIGN RELATIONS. SENATOR PATHOM SOEMSIN, A
FORMER SUPREME COMMAND CHIEF OF STAFF AND CURRENT MEMBER
OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS, COMMENTED
ON THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF A US MILITARY PRESENCE BY
NOTING THAT IT WOULD STRENGTHEN THAILAND'S DEFENSIVE
CAPABILITY.
4. (U) PRESS COMMENTARY HAS GENERALLY BEEN STRONGLY
OPPOSED TO THE POSSIBILITY. "THAI RATH". THAILAND'S
MOST POPULAR DAILY, CALLED THE IDEA "TREACHEROUS" AND
BLAMED PREVIOUS US PRESENCE IN THE AREA FOR SOCIAL
PROBLEMS LIKE ILLEGIMATE CHLDREN AND FOR CREATING
REFUGEES AND "THE EMERGENCE OF THE TYRANTS" (THE
THANOM/PRAPHAT REGIME OF THE 1960S-70S). THE USUALLY
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700910009-4