CONFIDENTIAL
From the Private Secretary
10 DOWNING STREET
HKK 243/1
NED OF REGSIM NO. 51. 5 FEB 1979
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like February 1979
HUGH
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هدنا
Defence Dept
5/2
Dear Stephen,
INDEX
PA
No
Jo/2.
PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND,
GENERAL KRIANGSAK, AT 10 DOWNING STREET ON 2 FEBRUARY, 1979
The Prime Minister had half-an-hour's meeting with the Prime Minister of Thailand, General Kriangsac, at No. 10 at 0945 hours this morning. General Kriangsac was accompanied by his Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Sunthorn, his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Upadit, and the Thai Ambassador in London. Lord Goronwy-Roberts was present.
UK/Thai Relations
General Kriangsac appeared to be more concerned to register with the Prime Minister his interest in a number of bilateral matters than to respond to the Prime Minister's request for an indication of his views on the general situation in South East Asia. The General expressed his gratitude for the assistance provided by the UK with a development study of Thailand's southern region, which had cost £3 million so far and with which the Thais were extremely satisfied; General Kriangsac said that the programme seemed likely to generate a number of important investment projects in Southern Thailand. The General said that the Thai Government would now like the study to be extended northwards, along the Burmese border, in order to complete the pattern of studies which the Government had commissioned; the additional cost would be approximately £1 million. The General hoped that the British Government would give favourable consideration to adding to their assistance in this way. Lord Goronwy-Roberts undertook to look at this possibility.
General Kriangsac told the Prime Minister that Thailand was engaged in substantial arms purchases from the United States and had also ordered approximately 160 Scorpions from the UK. The General complained that deliveries of the Scorpions were very slow they were arriving in Thailand in small batches of five or six at a time and asked the Prime Minister to do what he could to accelerate the process. The General explained that in the current situation the Scorpions were badly needed to patrol Thailand's
/border areas.
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