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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 3. 1967.

Atomic warheads now in Thailand

page 11

Atomic warheads now in Thailand

Atomic Warheads are stationed at four United States military bases in Thailand states a letter from Bangkok, received recently.

The bases are at Satthahip, he largest and most important with a harbour housing [unclear: ubinarines] and an enormous [unclear: irfleld.] Satthahip is about [unclear: 00] miles south of Bangkok; Sakorn Nakorn, about 40 miles [unclear: rom] the Laotian border: [unclear: Korat], nearly 200 miles north [unclear: of] Bangkok, and Chieng Rai, [unclear: 00] miles as the bomber flies from Hanoi.

Our correspondent adds, [unclear: a] Sakorn Nakorn seems to be [unclear: he] most active in bombing [unclear: North] Vietnam and the Ho [unclear: chi] Minn Trail in Laos. Chieng Rai is being built now, but is going to be one of the biggest. They (the Americans are building a road from the port at Satthahip to Korat, so as to avoid heavily populated ureas and Bangkok."

All these bases are within 300 miles of either North or South Vietnam—a mere hop for the thundering B 52s, B 57s and F 105s used to carry the atom bomb.

The letter also tells of the build-up of United States troops in Thailand. It says that in September last year there were 70,000 American soldiers in Thailand. The official figure is 34,000. The number was expected to exceed 100,000 by the beginning of this year.

"Obviously these soldiers are not here to protect Thailand," the report states. "Thailand, herself has Armed Forces totalling 149,000. They will probably be used to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos."

The United States Military Attache in Wellington said he didn't know how many United States troops there were in Thailand. "We don't keep that sort of information around the office," he said, laughing. "Washington would know."

It was reported from Washington on March 13 that Thailand had agreed to allow the United States to base B 52 bombers there.