Office of the Historian

380. Memorandum From the National Intelligence Officer for South and Southeast Asia at the Central Intelligence Agency (Christison) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Colby), Washington, March 8, 1974.1 2

Washington, March 8, 1974

Office of the Director of Central Intelligence

DATE: 8 March 1974

TO: The Director

SUBJECT: Contingency Planning for a Military Coup in Thailand

1. The attached memorandum, prepared at your request, addresses the question of how the U.S. should respond in the event of a coup or attempted return to power by the military in Thailand. As you will note, we take an appreciably different tack from that taken by Ambassador Kintner.

2. [text not declassified]

William A. Christison
DCI/NIO/SEA

Attachment

[Page 2]

9 April 1974

MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

SUBJECT: Contingency Planning for a Possible Military Coup in Thailand

The Key Points

The U.S. response to a military coup or attempted coup in Thailand should be governed by the following guidelines:

  • - We should recognize that it is in our interest to continue a close relationship with almost any Thai government that might emerge from a coup.
  • - If coup plotters tell us in advance of their plans and seek our support, we should withhold that support. [text not declassified]
  • - If we intervene in any way to prevent a coup, and that coup then succeeds, we would merely prejudice our future relations with a new Thai government.
  • - During any coup attempt the U.S. should maintain a low profile and remain detached from the situation, but should continue all assistance programs and contacts with the government at present levels.
  • - Once a coup has succeeded and the dust has settled, the U.S. should in low key express acceptance of the situation.

  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, OPI 122 (National Intelligence Council), Job 79R01099A, Box 11, Folder 7, Contingency Planning for a Possible Military Coup in Thailand. Secret. On the routing slip attached to the memorandum, an unknown hand wrote, “Excellent memo. Let’s hold it for possible use at a WSAG or elsewhere.”↩
  2. Christison forwarded guidelines for responding to a military coup in Thailand.↩