17/7/64, Bangkok
Dear Chris,
I am sorry my official duties should be shrouded in such obscurity. It seems simpler to give you a reconstruction of an average Bangkok day if you can bear the infliction.
0530 	Alarm goes downstairs, Padung's husband has his shower. Bi-jai wakes and is potted.
0600 	Tozzie wakes and is hushed.
0615 	Prue wakes and is hushed.
0630 	Tozzie wakes and won't be hushed.
0645 	Breakfast.
0749 	Leave for office. Return to kiss Prue and Jessie goodbye or they can't go to school. Remember keys. Forget cheque book. Remember Eve's letter for the bag. Forget photos.
0759 	Leave for office.
0805 	Reach office. Greeted by two bearded hoboes waiting to see consul. Assure hoboes consul on his way. Greeted further by news that one car in garage after accident; one driver held by police pending enquiry, Chongdee away sick and no-one on telephone, motor-mower broken, and who is going to cut Ambassador's lawn? State MP at airport complaining no car, no one to meet, no hotel, and why has no-one told me he was coming; mother of would-be Colombo Plan student waiting in spare room.
0815 	Mr Mahoney leaves for police station to rescue driver; car leaves for airport to rescue MP; take refuge in own office.
0830 	Ambassador's secretary reminds me Ambassador anxious to have lawn mown.
0835 	Interview Colombo Plan student's mother who reminds me of great friendship between me and husband's cousin. Confirm great friendship but hardly fair to ask name. Explain no further vacancies this year, perhaps next. Mother very pleased because child is 14 and had expected to wait 5 years. Send regards to husband's cousin and retreat.
0855 	First Canberra cable: "Why no reply our 227?' Cannot find cable 227.
0900 	Second Canberra cable: "Please meet ... MP arriving same day". Have heard from MP already.
0905 	Cable 227 is message for Services Attache confirming transit one NCO-from Vientiane two months ago. NCO back in Australia and reply never needed. Memo 227 is four month old cable advice confirming reduction in Counsellor's allowances; no reply possible. Cables 220-229 all disposed of. Cables 207, 217, 237, 247, 257, 267, 287, 297 all disposed of. Cables 027, 127 dead and buried. Send message querying reference.
0925 	Third cable: "Please consult Foreign Ministry about width of continental shelf of Gulf of Thailand for purposes of aircraft overflight." Ask Goi to compose message to Foreign Ministry.
0935 	Fourth Canberra cable. Message from Minister asking Ambassador to see Foreign Minister immediately to communicate personal message about Malaysia. Draft one page summary for Ambassador of previous exchanges on the subject.
1000 	Coffee. Ambassador's secretary confides progress of romance with SAS pilot. Unfortunate complication, already married, 2 children. What is girl to do?
1005 	Message from waiting room. Two bearded hoboes becoming restless. Enquire for Consul. Not in office. Ring home. Consul explains house burgled last night. Wife very upset. Must stay by her side all day. Tell Third Secretary to care for hoboes. Hoboes have no money. Give Third Secretary 100 Bht. Third Secretary hands over 100 Bht. Comes back and tells me anyway not Australians!
1045 	Enquiries about Ambassador's lawn.
1100 	MP rings to say doesn't like hotel. Wants Erawan. Explain Erawan hard to get into at short notice. Promise check Erawan.
1105 	Check Erawan. Erawan confirms no room. Advise MP. Very cross.
1115 	Telephone call from road project Khonkaen. Colombo Plan Project engineer dictates brief list of matters on which he wants action. Where are bulldozers consigned Melbourne six weeks ago; where 4 V/1C scrimshams ordered for baffle duct and C327 scraper dumper ordered three weeks ago? Where beer supplies ordered week ago, why no reply letter previous day, where seven copies home-town newspaper air-mailed Derby WA nine days ago? Can he spend 1000 Bht on paddling pool for children? Sending down one man sick, please arrange doctor, hospital. When will we come and see him? When will he come and see us? Thai staff having trouble, six engineers walked out - please secure and send back but not the same ones, or better have the same ones with a good lecture, but not Kanjara, or is his name Javala, anyway the middle-size one with black hair, but perhaps take him anyway, but altogether fed up with the lot of them; also needs good cook, thinks cook lazy, can't cook Christian food.
1140 	MP rings from Erawan. Says he has seen manager, has nice room, and if that is the best the Embassy can do doesn't think much of it. Can we lend car for day, can I let him have bottle of whisky as very expensive in hotel. Knows Minister well and will tell him how Embassy looked after him, cannot call on Ambassador, do we know good night-club, will we go and get his luggage and move to Erawan?
1200 	Ring from SEATO [South East Asia Treaty Organisation]. Wing Commander S. doesn't like house Embassy got his predecessor, very smelly, very noisy, too big, and has found himself better one. Explain property on 2-year lease. Ask is landlady willing to release us from contract? Says our worry, not his, but anyway getting out. Wife can't stand another moment. Explain requires Ambassador's approval, if wants to overrule Ambassador best ask Minister for Air to speak to Minister for External Affairs. Wing Commander reflects and says anyway has doctor's certificate noise bad for central nervous system; breakdown threatened. Promise to play medical certificate over landlady who remind him is Air Marshal's wife and sister-in-law of Minister for Cooperative Undertakings.
1215 	Services Attache telephones. Why no car to take him home to lunch. Always has car. Other people get cars, why not he? Explain car gone to MP. MP not released it. Explain movement to and from office officer's own responsibility. Would he share with girls in Landrover? 'Won't share with girls, won't travel in Landrover.
1230 	Lunch US Embassy. Long drink, long wait, long lecture visiting State Department man on benevolent intentions of US administration. Lunch between New Zealand colleague and US SEATO man. Left hand man drones on about iniquity of SEATO proposal to spend $700 on new paper folding machine; right hand man delivers sharp lecture on White Australia policy. Lunch over. All guests leap to feet and run off. Only man to leave by samlor so revel in only element of distinction.
2 pm 	Ambassador wonders what the trouble is about mowers for the lawn. Hopes I can ask MP to dinner. Self very busy. Explain MP very busy too.
2.15 pm MP rings to say why no whisky. Appears request to Mrs Prasai to consign lunch time car frustrated because no whisky in commissary, no whisky Soi Suriwong. Suggests try Assistant Services Attache (ASA) who has just taken delivery 2 cases. Try ASA who thinks if car can drive round his flat to fetch whisky, why can't they drive him home. Car goes for whisky. Comes back. Flat locked up. Forgot wife out and servant shopping. Try Commercial Counsellor. Long lecture about failure messenger downstairs to deliver two important messages. Will have to complain Minister of Trade. Why no car at lunch time? Explain MP. Says no, that's what you told ASA. Where my car? Explain probably delivering important letters. Send car his house collect whisky.
3 pm 	Canberra mail. Why no replies our 104, 339, 746? Overspent 100 pounds on cables. Why no return of doc's of identity issued past seven years, why no inventory Second Secretary's house, why was 90 Tcs spent on typewriter ribbons? Why not ordered through Australia House London at bulk supply rate?
3.15 pm Ambassador's secretary. Can I talk to Australian in waiting room. Ambassador very busy. Australian has letter from Commissioner of Police, Hobart, commending him to good offices. Wants advice on what to see Bangkok. Perhaps we could lend someone to show round town, perhaps car? Whisky very expensive. I say hopefully perhaps here on business, therefore over to Commercial Counsellor. He says firmly, just on holiday. Talk about climate, recommend tourist agency, guides, apologise for absence cars. He says family life most missed. Like a good Aussie meal, none of this hotel stuff. Explain always eat Thai food own house. All right once used to it. Apt to upset strangers most remarkably. Mention nice man, MP, staying at Erawan, perhaps would like to join us both for drinks 5 pm? Says what to do in interval? Suggest visit tourist shops. Says no, will wait in waiting room. Wonder why ever left home.
4.15 pm Check Borneo Company. Man who fixes motor mower away today. Quick repairs promised tomorrow. Hollow laugh. This was last week's story too. Turns out great queue of motor mowers awaiting repair. No spare parts to most. Scribble note to Ambassador. Send messenger out to buy scythe.
4.45 pm Scythe back. Mrs Prasai explains gardener never seen one, unconfident able make work. Recommend practice to gardener. Gardener returns to sleep under tree.
5 pm 	Make way with passenger to Erawan with bottle of whisky. MP explains been waiting all afternoon. Buy drink 3 people Tcs 48/- i.e. 1 pound and whisky 17/6. MP explains must leave now. Tasmanian all forlorn. Harden heart and explain due Indian Embassy cocktail. Earn reputation frivolous butterfly.
5.30 pm Indian Embassy cocktail. Glum handshake from Russian colleague. Evidently lost hope I will defect. Long lecture Vietnamese on situation in South Vietnam.
6 pm 	ECAFE cocktail. Long lecture Mekong River enthusiast, long lecture Asian Institute Economic Development enthusiast, long lecture Asian Highway enthusiast.
7 pm 	New Zealand cocktail party. New Zealand host says how truly cosmopolitan we are tonight, i.e. 15 New Zealanders, 1 Australian, 1 Swiss, 1 Dutchman, 1 American (white), 1 German, 1 shy and embarrassed Thai couple who stay 5 minutes. Long lecture common market. Youthful reminiscences New Zealand very windy. Wellington very nice. train Khandallah. New Zealand very good horses. Always winning Melbourne Cup. New Zealand very good football. Australians don't play proper game at all. Cricket and tennis not really sports for serious public. Mile running very good sport. Snell for instance.
8.15	Samlor home.  Gate locked. Climb over.  Great amusement for Song. 
8.30	Urge children to go to bed.  Toz wants story.  Prue is only beginning homework.  Mair is far too big to go to bed before 9.  What news. Letter from Chris.  Can't find it for the moment.  N.Y. times crossword.  Can't find pen.  House full of pens.  Bring one home every week.  Make start 3H pencil.  Meredith has pen.  Toz says come and sit by him. 
9 pm	Prue kisses goodnight.  Mum has bath.  Mair has bath.  Fall asleep in chair.  3" water in Klong jar.  Bed. 
Telephone rings.  Australian stranded at airport.  Has letter from mayor of Mildura.  Recommend to good graces of airline.  Promise give every help in morning.  Reassure will not be imprisoned illegal entry.  Suggest line up hotel w. airline rep. 
10.30	Telephone rings. Mayor of Mildura's man wants to know can he brush his teeth in water at Trocadero hotel.  Say firmly yes.  Promise to send car in morning. 
11 pm	Ring Russian Embassy.  Offer to defect.  They regret cannot accommodate family of 11, suggest stay put for retainer 5/- a week and supply official secrets.