MONTHLY REPORT--BANGKOK BUREAU--SEPTEMBER 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100190004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2008
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 1, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report--Bangkok Bureau--September 1983
This year's military reshuffle, an annual event which results from
Thailand's uniform 1 October retirement date in the armed forces and
which customarily has led to coups or at least to talks of coups in past
years, was accomplished with a minimum of disgruntlement. Army Commander-
in-Chief Athit acquired the second hat of supreme commander in the reshuffle
and used the reshuffle to further consolidate his own power, but he avoided
freezing out promotions among other factions. Promotions were extended to
all factions not deeply involved in the April Fool's coup attempt of 1981,
and Athit persuaded a major rival, 4th Army Commander Lt. General Harn, to
take a promotion and a staff position.
Mother Nature has been less kind to Bangkok this year than the military,
however. During September the severe rainy season conditions became
disruptive, as daily rains combined with unusually high tides and the
continuing problem of sinking land in the city to virtually paralyze
Bangkok for long periods of time. Many of the main streets have become
klongs (canals), the papers feature ever more amazing flood photos each
day, and several areas of the city, including Ramkhamhaeng University, have
been closed and conceded to the sea for the duration. At month's end, even
the International School had experienced closures due to the flooding, and
the sewer system was so clogged that the bureau's balconies, on the 15th
and 16th floors, were overflowing during the rains and threatening to flow
into the offices. Conditions were particularly irritating to incomin staff
personnel who still await arrival of their cars. The crew STAT
report the highest waters there in 20 years. STAT
A. Monitorial/Editorial
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B. Technical
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Buildings and Grounds
Construction has started on two new monitor positions to help
accomodate the Indonesian, Thai and South Asian monitorial slots which have
been approved over recent months. The bureau's commodious library has been
divided in half to accomodate, without appreciable loss of functional space,
both a library and a monitorial office. In addition, the little-used chief
editor's office has been reconfigured, the editorial copy boards are being
consolidated into new shelves, and a door is being cut to link the editorial
and cruising rooms and improve coordination.
The rainy season and the many recent thunderstorms have created
numerous problem STAT
Several antennas were struck by lightning, necessitating replacement STAT
of the antenna transformers. Frequent power outages made it necessary to
operate the emergency generator for a total of eight hours during the 24th
and 25th of September. We also sustained minor damage to a remote modem.
However, the bureau experienced very little loss of operational capability.
B. Personnel
1. Deputy
for familiarizatio
other areas.
traveled to Okinawa TDY 1-2 September STAT
and to coordinate coverage in STAT
2. Promotions were presented on 22 Sentember to Senior Thai Monitor
Senior Vietnamese Monitor
uth Asian Monito
Burmese Monitor STAT
Thai MonitoF_ STAT
STAT
1. DD/LOGS, toured the bureau 22 September and was much
impressed by our luxurious quarters.
Regional Medical Officer, v1sted the bureau 23 SentembESTAT
STAT
Chief, FBIS Bang ureau
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1. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTHt
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(minutes or issues per week)
515,610 (539,020)
232,290 (246,840)
1,350 ( 1,379)
BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
15,795 ( 15,715) 20,205 ( 20,205) 232.23 ( 232.23)
min. min. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
Melbourne Overseas Service in
English
Sydney THE AUSTRALIAN in
English
Sydney THE BULLETIN in
English
Sydney THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN in
English
Dhaka Domestic Service in
Bengali
Dhaka Domestic Service in
English
Dhaka BSS in
English
Dhaka SANGBAD in
Bengali
Dhaka THE BANGLADESH OBSERVER in
English
Rangoon Domestic Service in
Burmese
Rangoon BOTATAUNG in
Burmese
Rangoon LOKTHA PYEITHU NEZIN in
Burmese
Rangoon MYANMA ALIN in
Burmese
Rangoon WORKING PEOPLE'S DAILY in
English
15,040 ( 17,450)
750 ( 2,520)
1,870 ( 2,140)
Beijing in
Bengali to India and Bangladesh o (
o)
Beijing in
Burmese to Burma 0 (
330)
Beijing in
Cambodian to Kampuchea 2,110 (
3,710)
Beijing in
Hindi to India 0
0)
Beijing in
Indonesian to Indonesia 0 (
170)
Beijing in
Lao to Laos 0
0)
Beijing in
Malay to Malaysia 340
0)
Beijing in
Thai to Thailand 0
1,660)
Beijing in
Urdu to India and Pakistan 0 (
0)
1,780 ( 2,130)
0
0)
810 (
580)
0
0)
100 (
0)
0 (
0)
340 (
1,080)
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CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Radio Kawthulay in
Burmese to Burma 5,480 (
5,170)
(Clandestine) Radio Kawthulay in
English to Burma 0
0)
(Clandestine) Voice of Democratic Kampuchea in
Cambodian 30,750 (
32,980)
(Clandestine) Voice of Malayan Democracy in
Malay 7,420 (
1,750)
(Clandestine) Voice of The National Army of Democratic
Kampuchea in Cambodian 2,870 (
4,630)
(Clandestine) Voice of The People of Burma in
Burmese 1,390 (
5,690)
(Clandestine) Voice of The People of Malaya in
Malay 1,530 (
o)
Hong Kong AFP in
English
Delhi General Overseas Service in
English 2,870 ( 4,180)
Delhi Domestic Service in
English 29,210 ( 40,150)
Delhi ISI Diplomatic Information Service in
English 140 ( 1,740)
Delhi INDIAN EXPRESS in
English 1,580 (
2,450)
Delhi NATIONAL HERALD in
English 630 (
0)
Delhi PATRIOT in
English 1,720 (
570)
Bombay THE TIMES OF INDIA in
English 1,140 (
0)
Calcutta ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA in
Bengali 0
0)
Calcutta THE STATESMAN in
English 1,400 (
2,870)
Madras THE HINDU in
English 0 (
1,700)
Delhi Domestic Service in
Bengali
Jakarta International Service in
English 2,210 ( 1,630)
Jakarta Domestic Service in
Indonesian 6,940 ( 16,150)
Jakarta BERITA BUANA in
Indonesian
0 (
0)
Jakarta JAKARTA POST in
English
770 (
0)
Jakarta KOMPAS in
Indonesian 420 (
980)
Jakarta MERDEKA in
Indonesian
0 (
300)
Jakarta TEMPO in
Indonesian 0
0)
Jakarta THE INDONESIA TIMES in
English 0 (
0)
Jakarta ANTARA in
Indonesian
Jakarta Domestic Service in English
Phnom Penh Domestic Service in
Cambodian 32,440 ( 28,540)
Phnom Penh SPK in
English
4,830 (
4,450)
Phnom Penh SPK in
French 12,850 (
13,520)
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KAMPUCHEA (continued)
Phnom Penh SPK in
French to KPL Vientiane
Phnom Penh VNA in
Vietnamese to VNA Hanoi
Vientiane Domestic Service in
Lao
Vientiane KPL in
English
Vientiane KPL in
English/French to SPK Phnom Penh
Vientiane SPK in
French to SPK Phnom Penh
Vientiane VNA in
Vietnamese to VNA Hanoi
Vientiane PASASON in
Lao
Kuala Lumpur International Service in
English 6,170 ( 4,130)
Kuala Lumpur Domestic Service in
English 3,810 ( 3,240)
Kuala Lumpur Domestic Service in
Malay 0 ( 0)
Kuala Lumpur NEW STRAITS TIMES in
English
Kuala Lumpur NEW SUNDAY TIMES in
English
15,360 ( 18,250)
2,020 ( 2,860)
0 ( 0)
Katmandu External Service in
English
Katmandu THE RISING NEPAL in
English
PAKISTAN
Karachi Overseas Service in
Urdu 900 ( 1,270)
Karachi Domestic Service in
English 9,770 ( 10,470)
Karachi Domestic Service in
Urdu 15,750 ( 16,590)
SINGAPORE
Singapore Domestic Service in
English
Singapore THE STRAITS TIMES in
English 1,090 (
0)
Singapore THE SUNDAY TIMES in
English 0 (
0)
Colombo International Service in
English 1,210 ( 5,980)
Colombo Domestic Service in
English 2,710 ( 15,260)
Colombo DAILY NEWS in
English 610 (
0)
Colombo THE SUN in
English 3,840 (
4,920)
Colombo WEEKEND in
English 0
0)
Colombo International Service in
Hindi 390 0)
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Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
English 1,830 (
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Thai 2,430 (
Bangkok Domestic Service in
English 1,750 (
Bangkok Domestic Service in
Thai 12,570 (
Bangkok BANGKOK POST in
English
Bangkok BANGKOK WORLD in
English
Bangkok LAK THAI in
Thai
Bangkok MATICHON in
Thai
Bangkok MATICHON WEEKEND in
Thai
Bangkok MATUPHUM in
Thai
Bangkok PATINYA in
Thai
Bangkok SIAM MAI in
Thai
Bangkok SIAM RAT in
Thai
Bangkok SU ANAKHOT in
Thai
Bangkok THAI RAT in
Thai
Bangkok THE NATION REVIEW in
English
4,650)
2,380)
760)
9,760)
23,870 (
5,340 (
0
2,410 (
0 (
4,870 (
o (
0 (
530 (
0 (
0 (
20,420 (
31,870)
6,310)
0)
1,170)
0)
4,260)
350)
2,460)
610)
0)
840)
29,580)
Moscow in
Bengali to Bangladesh 0 (
0)
Moscow in
Burmese to Burma 0 (
540)
Moscow in
Cambodian to Kampuchea 0 (
0)
Moscow in
Hindi to India 1,170 (
1,020)
Moscow in
Indonesian to Indonesia 0 (
0)
Moscow in
Lao to Laos 0 (
0)
Moscow in
Thai to Thailand 0 (
0)
Moscow in
Urdu to India 0 (
0)
Moscow in
Urdu to Pakistan 0 (
340)
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Indonesian to Indonesia 0 (
0)
Hanoi International Service in
Cambodian 0 (
0)
Hanoi International Service in
English 8,050 (
7,580)
Hanoi International Service in
Thai 1,720 (
820)
Hanoi Domestic Service in
Vietnamese 78,090 (
54,070)
Hanoi VNA in
English
7,920 (
1,690)
Hanoi KHAN DAN in
Vietnamese to NHAN DAN Ho Chi Minh City
0 (
0)
Hanoi NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
25,410 (
18,890)
Hanoi OUAN DOI KHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
2,440 (
0)
Hanoi TAP CHI GONG SAN in
Vietnamese
13,730 (
0)
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