Office of the Historian

315. Memorandum of Conversation1

US/MC/5
Canberra, June 28, 1966, 9 a.m.

SEATO COUNCIL MEETING

Canberra, June 27–29, 1966

ANZUS MINISTERIAL MEETING

Canberra, June 30–July 1, 1966

PARTICIPANTS

  • United States
    • The Secretary
    • Mr. Bundy
    • Ambassador Martin
  • Thailand
    • Thanat Khoman, Foreign Minister
    • Dr. Sompong Sucharitkul, Private Secretary to Foreign Minister

SUBJECT

  • SOFA

In raising the question of SOFA, Thanat made it quite clear that it would be necessary to take action soon on the SOFA draft that had been submitted by the Thai to the U.S. over two years ago as a basis for negotiation. He asked the Secretary whether we were now ready to proceed. The Secretary responded that his answer, in principle, would be affirmative. He asked Thanat whether there were any special problems. Thanat said that the recent flurry of intense press criticism had made non-existence of SOFA in Thailand a pressing matter of national sovereignty, particularly in view of the existence of SOFAs in Korea, GRC, Philippines, and Japan. He said there were no special problems, but with over 24,000 American troops in Thailand it would seem to be as much in our interest as in the Thai interest to have them protected by a proper agreement, since in the absence of such an agreement these troops are now subject to Thai law.

The Secretary said we were especially concerned to assure full protection to American troops for actions taken in duty status in specific compliance with orders. Thanat said he thought this category fully covered in the draft submitted to the U.S. by the RTG as a basis of negotiation.

The Secretary indicated he also desired to give proper protection to troops off duty and on leave. He asked whether there had been many incidents. [Page 686] Thanat and Ambassador Martin both confirmed that the incident rate was amazingly low. Thanat observed that there seemed really no basis for fear that any constitutional rights would be violated. The Secretary asked Thanat where he thought the SOFA negotiations should be conducted. Thanat replied they should be carried on at Bangkok as he wished to keep a close personal watch on the progress of such negotiations.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, DEF 15–3 THAI–US. Secret. No drafting officer is indicated on the source text, but it was approved in S on July 19. This memorandum is Part V of VII. For further information on these memoranda, see footnote 1, Document 314.↩