Amidst the Heat of the Cold War in Asia: Thailand and the American Secret War in Indochina (1960–74)

Abstract

This article is intended to present new findings on covert Thai intervention in Laos, in association with the United States, during the Vietnam War. As it was considered a violation of the Geneva Accords, information on clandestine Thai intervention in Laos has been treated with strict confidentiality by the Thai government. The Thai public have therefore been deprived of information on their countrymen's involvement in Laos for decades. Based on the new release of declassified US official documents and recent interviews with former diplomatic, intelligence and military officers from Laos, Thailand and the United States who were directly involved in the conflicts, striking facts about the Thai intervention in Laos from 1960 to 1974 have been revealed.

Notes

 [1] Randolph, Alliance, 49.

 [2] Piyaphan, Lao, 52–60.

 [3] Goldstein, American, 68.

 [4] Goldstein, American, 68

 [5] FRUS, Vol. XXIV, Memorandum of Conference with President Kennedy, Washington, 9 March 1961, 76, and John F. Kennedy Presidential Library (JFKL), Oral History Interview with Winthrop G. Brown, by Larry J. Hackham, Washington, DC, 1 February 1968, 3.

 [6] Stevenson, End, 92.

 [7] Summary of World Broadcasts (SWB), FE/407/B/2, Radio Vientiane, 9 August 1960.

 [8] FRUS, Vol. XVI, Memorandum of Discussion at the 455^th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, 12 August 1960, 787.

 [9] FRUS, Vol. XVI, Vientiane to Washington, 2 October 1960, 873–5.

[10] SWB, FE/410/B/6, New China News Agency (NCNA), 12 August 1960.

[11] Stevenson, The End, 92–3, and Toye, Laos, 138–41.

[12] Vongvichit, Nai, 186.

[13] FRUS, Vol. XVI, Washington to Vientiane, 8 October 1960, 886–7.

[14] Dommen, Conflict, 167.

[15] FRUS, Vol. XVI, Paper prepared by the Assistant White House Staff Secretary, 12 December 1960, 1003–4.

[16] JFKL, Oral History Interview with W. Averell Harriman, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., Washington, DC, 17 January 1965, and Stevenson, The End, 119.

[17] SWB, FE/443/B/5, NCNA, 21 September 1960.

[18] FRUS, Vol. XVI, Memorandum of Discussion at the 460th Meeting of the National Security Council, 21 September 1960, 859–60, and United Kingdom National Archives (UKNA), FO 371/152354, DF 1015/611, Vientiane to Foreign Office, 21 September 1960.

[19] FRUS, Vol. XVI, Memorandum of Discussion at the Department of State-JCS Meeting, 28 October 1960, Editorial Note, 933–4.

[20] Interview with General Vang Pao, Santa Ana, CA, 7 April 2005, and Telephone Interview with Rashane Kijavej, 22 June 2005.

[21] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005.

[22] Castle, At, 24.

[23] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005.

[24] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005

[25] Interview with General Vang Pao, Santa Ana, CA, 7 April 2005 and Warner, Backfire, 35–42.

[26] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005.

[27] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005

[28] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005

[29] Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005, and Interview with General Vang Pao, Santa Ana, CA, 7 April 2005.

[30] JFKL, Box 130, NSF, Laos, General, Belk to Bundy, 15 March 1961.

[31] JFKL, Box 130, NSF, Laos, General, Aide Memoire on Action in Laos, 9 March 1961.

[32] Memorandum from Lansdale, The Pentagon Papers , Volume II, 643–9.

[33] SWB, FE/514/B/4, 12 December 1960.

[34] UKNA, FO 371/166423, DF 1011/1, Vientiane to Foreign Office, 20 February 1962.

[35] FRUS, Vol. XXIV, Harriman to Washington, 13 September 1961, 411, and JFKL, Oral History Interview with W. Averell Harriman, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., Washington, DC, 17 January 1965.

[36] FRUS, Vol. XXIV, Belgrade to Washington, 18 September 1961, 412.

[37] Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library (LBJL), Box 13, Papers of Walt W. Rostow, Southeast Asia, Rostow to Rusk, 28 November 1962.

[38] Department of State Bulletin, 26 March 1962, 498, and JFKL, Box 163A, National Security Files (NSF), Thailand, General, Kennedy to Sarit, 5 March 1962.

[39] UKNA, FO 371/170016, DS 1011/1, Bangkok to Foreign Office, 24 January 1963.

[40] Conversation between President Kennedy and Ray Cline, CIA Deputy Director for Intelligence, 28 September 1962; Naftali and Zelikow, Presidential, 178–80.

[41] LBJL, Box 13, Papers of Walt W. Rostow, Southeast Asia, Rostow to Rusk, 28 November 1962.

[42] Conversation between President Kennedy and Ray Cline, CIA Deputy Director for Intelligence, 28 September 1962; Naftali and Zelikow, Presidential, 178–80.

[43] Interview with Ambassador Leonard Unger, De Kalb, IL, 20 May 2005, and Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005.

[44] Interview with General Vang Pao, Santa Ana, CA, 7 April 2005, and Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005.

[45] The training programme in Thailand for Laotian infantry and artillery battalions started in 1961. Interview with Ambassador Leonard Unger, De Kalb, IL, 20 May 2005.

[46] UKNA, FO 371/175163, DF 1011/1, Vientiane to Foreign Office, 4 January 1964.

[47] UKNA, FO 371/175163, DF 1011/1, Vientiane to Foreign Office, 4 January 1964

[48] LBJL, Box 282, NSF, Thailand, Thailand Cables, Vol. I, November 1963–November 1964, Washington to Bangkok, 28 February 1964.

[49] Jantarakiri, Duai, 72–4, and Interview with James William Lair, Meridian, TX, 21 February 2005.

[50] Jantarakiri, Duai, 89.

[51] Jantarakiri, Duai, 89

[52] LBJL, Box 272, NSF, Laos, Laos Cables, Vol. XVIII, November 1968–November 1969, CIA Intelligence Information Cable, 4 March 1968.

[53] U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), Transcript, Col. Roland K. McCoskrie Oral History Interview, by Lt. Col. Robert G. Zimmerman, Washington, DC, 14 July 1975, US Air Force Oral History Interview Program, 16–17.

[54] Telephone interview with Brig. Gen. Harry C. Aderholt, 30 March 2005.

[55] Interview with Ambassador James R. Lilley, Washington, DC, 24 May 2005.

[56] AFHRA, Transcript, Col. Roland K. McCoskrie Oral History Interview, by Lt. Col. Robert G. Zimmerman, Washington, DC, 14 July 1975, US Air Force Oral History Interview Program, 17.

[57] Telephone interview with Air Chief Marshal Charoon Wuthikarn, 23 May 2005, and Telephone interview with Brig. Gen. Harry C. Aderholt, 30 March 2005, and AFHRA, Transcript, Maj. Donald Randle Oral History Interview, by Lt. Col. Robert G. Zimmerman, December 1974, US Air Force Oral History Interview Program, 4–6.

[58] United States National Archives (USNA), RG 84, Political-Military 64–9, Box 9, Defense (DEF) 25 Laos Support Action 1965, Memo for Record, Lt. Col. Daniel A. Schreiber, 7 September 1965, and Telephone interview with Brig. Gen. Harry C. Aderholt, 30 March 2005, and AFHRA, Transcript, Lt. Col. Billie R. Keeler Oral History Interview, by Maj. Lyn R. Officer and Lt. Col. Vaughn H. Gallacher, Washington, DC, 5 December 1973, US Air Force Oral History Interview Program, 10.

[59] USNA, RG 84, Political-Military 64–9, DEF 19-6, Memo from Special Assistant to Ambassador, 22 August 1964.

[60] Telephone interview with Air Chief Marshal Charoon Wuthikarn, 23 May 2005.

[61] Interview with Mark S. Pratt, Washington, DC, 25 March 2006.

[62] LBJL, Box 272, NSF, Laos-Muong Suoi-Operation Triangle, Vol. I, June–July 1964, Vientiane to Washington, 2 July 1964.

[63] Ibid., Vientiane to Washington, 8 July 1964, and LBJL, Box 282, NSF, Thailand, Vol. II, August 1964–March 1965, Bangkok to Washington, 28 September 1964.

[64] LBJL, Box 272, NSF, Laos-Muong Suoi-Operation Triangle, Vol. I, June–July 1964, Vientiane to Washington, 29 July 1964.

[65] LBJL, Box 272, NSF, Laos-Muong Suoi-Operation Triangle, Vol. I, June–July 1964, USAIR to Vientiane, 25 July 1964.

[66] LBJL, Box 282, NSF, Thailand, Thailand Memos, Vol. I, November 1963–November 1964, Memorandum of Conversation, President and Prapart, 24 July 1964.

[67] LBJL, Box 272, NSF, Laos, Laos-Muong Soui-Operation Triangle, Vol. I, June–July 1964, Army CX-339 to CHJUSMAGTHAI, undated.

[68] Interview with Col. Ly Tou Pao and Maj. Yang Tuo, Santa Ana, CA, 9 April 2005. Col. Ly Tou Pao was the Chief of Staff of the Hmong guerrilla forces, and was among the first batch of Hmong officers joining the Command and Staff School at Long Cheng.

[69] LBJL, Box 272, NSF, Laos, Laos Cables, Vol. XVIII, January 1968–January 1969, CIA Intelligence Information Cable, 4 March 1968.

[70] Background Information, 574.

[71] Warner, Backfire, 288.

[72] USNA, RG 59, Box 1808, DEF 19 Thai-Laos January 1970, Bangkok to Washington, 14 April 1970.

[73] Bundy, Tangled, 147.

[74] Bundy, Tangled, 147

[75] USNA, RG 59, Box 1808, DEF 19 Thai-Laos January 1970, Bangkok to Washington, 14 April 1970.

[76] USNA, RG 84, Box 2, DEF 19 Military Assistance to Laos 1971, Washington to Vientiane, 8 June 1971.

[77] Interview with James Montgomery, Bethesda, MD, 28 March 2005.

[78] Fiscal Year 1972, 4277.

[79] Fiscal Year 1972, 4287.

[80] Fiscal Year 1972, 4275.

[81] USNA, RG 59, Subject Numeric Files 70–73, Box 1809, DEF 19 Thai-Laos, Paris to Washington, 8 September 1971.

[82] Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam: April 1973 , 14–16. This information was as of June 1972.

[83] Telephone Interview with General John W. Vessey, Jr., 6 June 2005. General Vessey, who was later to become the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was Deputy Chief of JUSMAG-Thailand, a cover title of the Chief of Military Assistance Group for Laos, from the end of 1971 to February 1973 (JUSMAG stands for Joint United States Military Assistance Group).

[84] Laos: April 1971 , 15–16.

[85] Interview with Lt. Gen. Richard G. Trefry, Washington, DC, 26 May 2005. Lt. Gen. Trefry succeeded General Vessey as Deputy Chief of JUSMAG-Thailand.

[86] USNA, RG 59, Subject Numeric File 70–73, Box 1809, DEF 19 Thai-Laos, Washington to Vientiane, 21 October 1971.

[87] USNA, Subject Numeric File 70–73, Box 1809, DEF 19 Thai-Laos, Bangkok to Washington, 15 October 1971.

[88] USNA, RG 59, Subject Numeric File 70–73, Box 1809, DEF 19 Thai-Laos, Paris to Washington, 8 September 1971, and Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam: April 1973, 14–16.

[89] AMHI, End of Tour Report, Lt. Gen. Richard G. Trefry, Defense Attaché, Vientiane, Laos, 5 February 1973–11 December 1974, 31.

[90] Thailand, Laos and Cambodia: January 1972 , 5.

[91] Interview with B. Hugh Tovar, Washington, DC, 22 June 2005. Mr. Tovar was CIA Station Chief in Vientiane from October 1970 to May 1973.

[92] AMHI, End of Tour Report, Lt. Gen. Richard G. Trefry, Defense Attaché, Vientiane, Laos, 5 February 1973–11 December 1974, 18.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sutayut Osornprasop

Sutayut Osornprasop has recently completed his doctorate degree in International Studies at the University of Cambridge. The title of his Ph.D. dissertation is ‘Thailand and the American Secret War in Indochina, 1960–1974’. He received a BA in Political Science (first class honours) from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, and M.Phil. in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.