DRAMATIC ESCAPE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 24 January 1942, Page 3

DRAMATIC ESCAPE

JOURNALIStYn THAILAND BANGKOK TO RANGOON Rangoon, Dec. 17. I have just travelled to Rangoon from Bangkok across Burma’s new “refugee road,” a 1200-miles journey from north Thailand across the wild, mountainous Shan States, writes a correspondent in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” With Darrell Berrigan, of the British United Press, 1 crossed the border of Thailand into Burma at dusk on 11th December, walked for several hours by the jungle road, and waded chest-deep across a river 100 feet in width to a British military post. We learned officially on the following day that the border had been sealed by the Thais immediately after we had passed through, cutting off many British and American refugees ’ from north Thailand, as well as more than 250 British and about 60 Americans who were planning to escape north of Bangkok. ONLY TWO GOT OUT So far as we can find out, Berrigan ■ and I are the only two people from Bangkok itself to have escaped over the northern frontier. About 30 British and American refugees from other parts of Thailand are known to have left Thailand by the northern gateway of Mehsai, including five women and four children, but only two were permitted to cross after the sealing of the frontier —Mr . H. R. Bird, the British Consul from Chiengmai, and his wife. Official reports were received in Burma from across the border on 13th . December that Japanese troops were . arriving at Lampang in northern Thailand on the afternoon of 13th December, indicating thaj. the Japanese were losing no time in bringing the whole of Thailand under control. At least one party of 13 American Presbyterian medical missionaries, in- ■ eluding a crippled man and a baby three months old, which was travelling close behind us, is believed to have been stopped at the border. These people had given many years ; of fine service to the health of the Thais, and it seems unlikely that the Thais would have stopped their work ‘ except under direct Japanese orders. JAPANESE IN BANGKOK ! We left Bangkok early on the morn- j ; ing of 9th December, eight hours after j i Japanese troops had entered the city , during a black-out. i At 8.12 p.m. on the previous day the , Thai Government had announced that l it had accepted Japan’s terms and ■ would permit the passage of Japanese troops across Thailand. Japanese residents of Bangkok, [ waving small rising sun flags, had , lined the streets by which the troops . were expected to arrive from Bangpu, 5 to welcome their conquering country- . men. But the Japanese troops did not arrive until late at night, during a j blackout. Their number was reported authoritatively to be 2000. I know that 300 were billeted at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, where they enjoyed many luxuries, including a fine swimming pool and a golf course.

THAI TRUCKS USED The troops travelled from Bangpn in Thai motor trucks, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, as revealed by the Japanese Embassy. These provided not only that troops should be allowed to pass through Thailand, but that all the facilities necessary for their transit to attack British territory should be made available by the Thais. Berrigan and I decided to head north as early as we could on 3th December, independently of official arrangements. We were unable to buy railway tickets, so we walked on to a train and cheerfully paid a fine of 50 setangs (about Is). That night we reached Pitsanuloke and spent hours in a blackout, investigating the possibilities of obtaining transport west to Moulmeir without success. Finally we got a train to Lampang where we slept in a rest house. Ir the next room was the Japanese Con. sul from Chiengmai, who was awaiting the arrival of the Japanese troop; there. THAI FRIEND’S AID On the following day a Thai frienc managed to procure us a hired cai and he went with us to Chiengmai where he introduced us to the Governor. The Governor wa s most friendly He issued orders to the police anc frontier guards to afford us all facilities, which they did. There was nc sign, or word of, Japanese troops in north Thailand at that stage. We were stopped at police posts and our papers and luggage were examined six times, but we were treated courteously everywhere. We travelled th e last 14 miles of our 600 miles dash to the northern border in a bus, which we hired, and completed the border formalities iusl as the border force hauled down the Thai flag at dusk. Our bus was halted by a rough barrier of logs across the road. We carried our typewriters across a bridge over the Mekong River into the Shan States border post of Tachilek