Malayan Emergency stories

[Hugh]

I'm writing a piece about the Malayan Emergency, and would be very glad to have any war stories from veterans of your experiences. If it turns into anything worthwhile, I'll post it here.

I'll also post this in a couple of related fora to get better coverage.

Many thanks for your help.

Hugh

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hugh - I hope we have members who can assist you - the project sounds very interesting.

I was in Thailand from 1960 and although the insurgency had been brought under control in Malaya,

the terrorists were still in the lower South of Thailand. You weren't allowed to travel there without

permission.

[Hugh]

Thanks, Mervyn,

A different, but related question: I know that the southern three provinces of Thailand were taken from Malaysia / Malaya. Do you know when that happened?

Best,

Hugh

[Mervyn Mitton]

Sorry Hugh - I don't. However, I would think it a possibility that this happened at the end of WW2.. Thailand

had many insurgency problems at that time - and in fact King Bhumipol's brother was murdered in 1946.

Perhaps we gave these Provinces to Thailand to help lessen our responsibilities ? Mervyn

[Hugh]

For what it's worth, here's Wikipedia's take on southern Thailand. Looks like 1909.

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The deep south belonged to the Malay sultanates of Pattani and Kedah, while the northernmost part of the peninsula was under direct control of Bangkok.

During the thesaphiban reforms at the end of the 19th century, both Nakhon Si Thammarat as well as Pattani were finally incorporated into the central state. The area was subdivided into 5 monthon, which were installed to control the city states (mueang). Minor mueang were merged into larger ones, thus forming the present 14 provinces. With the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 the boundary to Malaysia was fixed. Kedah came under British control, while Pattani stayed with Siam.

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