Your Excellency and Gentlemen: I am very happy in visiting your country, thereby realizing the desire cherished by me for a long time. This evening, I and my party have been invited by His Excellency Premier Songgram to this reception and His Excellency has been pleased to compliment me just now. I express my thanks. I much regret that I am not able to invite you to a party by reason of my travelling programme. I hope this will be satisfactory to you.
Our present visit has been the occasion for His Majesty the King of Thailand to grant me and my party special consideration in decorating us. I was profoundly impressed with this.
The people of your country have for many years resolutely maintained their glorious independence and upheld their honour as an Asiatic race in the midst of a changeful situation. His Excellency Premier Songgram, the great leader, has personally led all the people, exerted himself to stimulate the national spirit and strengthen national power, and made a consistent effort to extend national prestige and promote the prosperity of East Asia.
Upon the outbreak of the war of greater East Asia, Thailand resolutely ended its long-standing complex and delicate relations with America and Britain and made common cause with Japan. While combating manifold difficulties, it has since not only carried out operation in the first line in co-operation with the Japanese forces, but also made exertions in various other directions, all with the idea of bringing the war to a completely victorious end. I have long been impressed by these efforts of all the people of Thailand and their co-operation with the Empire. I take the opportunity of expressing my thanks for all this.
Our stay in your country will be very short. I feel specially happy that I have been able to talk personally with His Excellency Premier Songgram and meet prominent persons, officials and civilians, of your country in an agreeable atmosphere. In my previous talk with His Excellency Premier Songgram, we ascertained that we were sharing the same conviction of certain victory and the same determination to consummate the war. We also agreed on a formula for co-operation between Japan and Thailand. I am extremely pleased that the talk led to a greater mutual understanding. I think that this is a matter for mutual congratulation from the point of view of forging closer ties of co-operation in the war between the two countries.
Further, that the people of Thailand presented a part of the Buddha's ashes, which they respect as their life and spirit, to the people of Japan immediately before my arrival here, will further strengthen the spiritual unity of the people of the two nations. I express from the bottom of my heart my
thanks for this beautiful sign of friendship shown by the people of Thailand.
Your Excellency and Gentlemen: the position of victory in greater East Asia, and the position of absolute destruction for the enemy, are being strengthened daily and the abundant resources of the area are being turned rapidly into fighting power. This trend is what will indeed control the fate of America and Britain. This indeed is the time for all the peoples of greater East Asia to further solidify their unity and drive forward still more powerfully on the road toward the destruction of America and Britain. I believe firmly that this is the way in which the various nations and peoples in greater East Asia will absolutely gain victory. They will attain victory fighting for their existence and rise.
The Japanese Empire not only respects Thailand's sovereignty and territory, but desires deeply Thailand's prosperity and rise, and at this time wishes to strengthen its co-operation and aid the policies of the Thai Government having as its leader Premier Songgram.
I hope the people of Thailand will further understand Japan's sincere will and fight powerfully around His Excellency Premier Songgram for the increase in Thailand's national prestige, for the successful prosecution of the war of greater East Asia, and for the rise and prosperity of greater East Asia.
In closing, I wish to drink, together with you, a toast to the health of His Excellency Premier Phibul Songgram and to pray for the common victory of Japan and Thailand.