Remarks to Employees at the American Embassy in Bangkok.

Mr. Ambassador and my fellow Americans:

As I make this stop in Bangkok on a trip around the world, this is the only occasion I will have to speak to members of the American community, and I think it is good that we selected Bangkok because this is one of our larger installations with so many Americans here from the Foreign Service, from the Armed Services, from our other missions abroad.

I just want you to know that while, of course, this kind of a trip is tremendously exciting, to meet all the leaders of the world and see the hundreds of thousands of people that I have seen in Manila, Djakarta, and then in Bangkok, that it is always good to feel at home right here in the United States among a great number of American citizens.

I particularly feel at home when I find here that somebody read that I had received in the White House the other day an insignia from the Commissioner of Baseball indicating that I was the Number 1 baseball fan. So here is the cap for it. It is certain our Americans can leave the United States, but you can never take baseball out of an American boy. I see a great number of them over there. I only wish that I had the time to see one of your games.

I would like to just say one serious word to you, if I could. I realize that our people have been stationed in some instances many months and perhaps even many years away from home. If you are going to be outside the United States in a foreign city or a foreign country--and I have been to over 60 now--I can assure you that this is one of the best places in the world to be, right here in Thailand.

I also want you to know that I realize that, from my trips abroad, it is difficult for families to be abroad, to be away from home, to go to schools that are different from the ones they are used to at home, although I might note that the American schools and the other schools that you go to here are among the best that you can find in the world.

I know, too, that you tend to get homesick. I am sure you do for your own hometowns and for the people that you have known back home. Just let me say, as one who appreciates-- an American citizen, as President of the United States--the service that you are rendering, all of you in every capacity, that we live in a period in which what the United States does in this country and in other countries abroad will probably determine whether peace and freedom survive in the world.

That is very big talk, I know. It is not said in any sense of braggadocio. It is just said in a sense of recognizing what the facts are. Sometimes we have many frustrations--frustrations in fighting a very difficult war in Vietnam, frustrations in our foreign policy, our foreign aid programs, and many of the others. You know those as well as I do.

But just let me say this: that for a man or a woman to be able to play a role at this time in the history of the world, in the history of the United States, to be able to play a role that might make a difference in determining whether this country, the millions that live here and the millions that live throughout this world, will have a better chance to grow up in peace and freedom--that is an exciting thing to do. I think we are all privileged to be able to play a role in that respect.

I want you to know that I am very proud of all of the Americans who are serving the United States, in whatever capacity. I want to thank you for your service. I only hope that those of us who have to make the decisions in Washington will be worthy of the dedication and the hard work of the people out here in the field.

Thank you very much.