TNAG-1163-FCO40-1443-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 52

CONFIDENTIAL

22.

The Chinese Ambassador, with whom I had a long talk at the Ambassador's dinner party, declared that there was dissension among the Vietnamese leaders. He appeared to have no new evidence,

however, merely referring to the often mentioned antagonism between Le Duan ("pro-Soviet") and Truong Chinh ("nearer to Ho Chi Minh") and the delay in convening the Party Congress. He also claimed that there was considerable discussion in the lower orders of the

Party, basing himself on information from the East Europeans.

Thailand

23. Like Hong Kong, Bangkok has undergone an immense metamorphosis since I was posted there over sixteen years ago. Flyovers, motor- ways, office-blocks, tower hotels, department stores, super-markets and shopping centres have sprung up, turning what was the Venice into the Los Angeles of the East. Traffic, heavy in the 1960s, has now become unspeakably dense and the air suffers accordingly. But Thai houses still have gardens; the graceful temples are as timeless as ever and the Chao Phya river continues to give the city a sense of space. The Thais themselves (to whom I am allied by marriage) are as charming and hard-headed as they always were.

Criticism of the

24. One other great change deserves mention. Royal Family, unknown in 1965, is now rife in Bangkok, although not, I was assured, in the countryside.

THIS IS A COPY THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR

.....40 YEARS UNDER FOI EXEMPTION NO. 27. (1) 4012)25.

CONFIDENTIAL