Thailand Fears Attack Across Lao Border

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32394, 5 September 1970, Page 13

Thailand Fears Attack Across Lao Border

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) BANGKOK, September 4. More than 57,000 Communist troops were reported yesterday to be massed in southern Laos, across the border from Thailand’s Übon province, apparently poised for an incursion * into Thai territory.

Informed sources in Bangkok said details of the threat to the province, which lies about 540 miles north-east of Bangkok, were revealed in captured Communist documents.

These showed that the troops were mainly North Vietnamese and Communist Pathet Lao supported by some Thai sympathisers.

The disclosure came as Thailand announced that it had finalised plans to withdraw its 12,000 troops from South Vietnam. The Thai Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Air Marshal Dawee Chullasapya, told reporters yesterday that the Government would shortly inform the United States and South Vietnam of its plans to bring the men home. He did not give a date for their return or where they would be deployed in Thailand. But the Thai Prime Minister, Field Marshal Thanom Kittikacborn, said last week that they would be used to reinforce provinces bordering Laos and Cambodia. Marshal Thanom warned on Wednesday of the increased Communist threat along the Laotian border near Übon Province.

He also told reporters that Thai Guerrilla leaders had crossed over the Mekong River to Laos for secret meetings with Laotian, Vietnamese and Cambodian Communist!! to plan aggression against Thailand.

Informed sources said that the documents captured in Übon showed that the Communist troops were massed opposite the Boontrick and Dejudom districts of Übon and were apparently planning to cross into Thailand. State Of Alert

Thailand has 70,000 soldiers stationed along the border with Laos in a constant state of alert.

The sources said that emergency military and civil defence plans were ready to be put into operation if the Communists crossed the border. Details of the Government’s plans could not be disclosed, but they were known to provide for deployment of troops and police armed with Ml 6 rifles, grenade launchers, light tanks and other sophisticated weapons with close heavy artillery and air sup-

port against any Invasion force. Air Force Ready Meanwhile, Thai Air Force planes stationed at the northeastern Udorn, Nakhon Phanom and Übon bases were maintaining round-the-clock patrols and were capable of going into action at short notice.

Thai Navy and Marine police have a strong flotilla of armoured patrol boats in the Mekong River for use against any water-borne Communist troops. Informed sources said that if there were any outright foreign Communist invasion Thailand should also be able to call on American military intervention under the existing South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (5.E.A.T.0.) and bilateral defence commitments.