MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN BECAME THE FIRST THAI PRIME MINISTER IN HISTORY TO VISIT BRAZIL WHEN HIS PLANE TOUCHED DOWN AT GALEAO AIRPORT, IN RIO DE JANEIRO, ON SATURDAY. HE IS ON A MONTH'S GLOBAL TOUR.

THE PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND IS RETURNING A VISIT MADE LAST YEAR BY PRESIDENT ARTHUR DE COSTA E SILVA OF BRAZIL. HE'S ALREADY VISITED SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND WILL LATER GO ON TO THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN.

MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN WAS MET AT THE AIRPORT BY THE BRAZILIAN ARMY MINISTER, SENHOR LYRA TAVARES AND THE FOREIGN MINISTER, SHENOR JOSE DE MAGALHAES PINTO, AS WELL AS NUMBER OF OTHER BRAZILIAN AND DIPLOMATIC DIGNITARIES.

THE THAI VISITOR WENT FROM THE AIRPORT TO RIO'S TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER OF WORLD WAR TWO TO LAY A WREATH. BRAZIL WAS THE ONLY LATIN AMERICAN NATION TO TAKE AN ACTIVE PART WITH THE ALLIES IN THE LAST WAR. IT SENT AN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE AND AN AIR SQUADRON TO EUROPE.

IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE THE THAI PRIME MINISTER IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON THE 7TH OF NEXT MONTH, HE'S EXPECTED TO SEEK ASSURANCES OF CONTINUED AMERICAN PROTECTION FROM VIETNAMESE INFILTRATION IF THE AMERICANS WITHDRAWN FROM SOUTH VIETNAM.

MARSHAL THANOM KITTIKACHORN AND HIS PARTY WILL ARRIVE IN TOKYO OF MAY THE 14TH. HE'S EXPECTED TO DISCUSS WITH THE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER, MR. EISAKU SATO, THE NEED FOR A MORE POSITIVE AND ACTIVE ROLE BY JAPAN IN WORKING TOWARDS COMMON SECURITY OF THE NON-COMMUNIST NATIONS IN SOUTH EAST ASIA.