Cablegram 74 CANBERRA, 20 November 1947
SECRET IMPORTANT
Our 72 para2. [1]
On 13th November Luang Dhamrong’s Minister of Communications [2] Was informed by United Kingdom Ambassador [3] that his instructions were to deal with the new regime on a de facto basis for the time being and that his United States colleague [4] was acting similarly.
2. You may in your discretion deal with the new regime as with a de facto government but in such a way as not to anticipate action in this direction taken by the United Kingdom and United States Embassies.
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1 On 9 November Siamese troops under the orders of Luang Pibul Songgram. staged a successful coup d’etat and overthrew the government of Rear-Admiral Luang Thamrong Navasvasti. Paragraph 2 of Cablegram 72, dispatched is November, read: ‘Our first impulse is to view without favour return of Pibul to effective power. Until the situation clears, we prefer to leave in abeyance the question of according recognition to the new regime.’ 2 Phya Prakit Kolasastr.
3 Sir Geoffrey Harington Thompson.
4 Edwin F. Stanton.
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[AA : A1838,451/3/2/2, iv]