Beatrice
Camp (“Just call me Bea”), the newly arrived US
government’s representative, has been sent here as our new
consul-general. After spending an hour with this lady, I can
honestly say that she comes over as one of the “nicest”
people you will ever meet. The US has found a wonderful
replacement for the C-G’s office!
She was born in Montgomery in Alabama, the
younger of two children born to a father who worked for the US
Air Force and a teacher mother. However, since her father was
contracted to the USAF, he also had to move around the world on
USAF business. One move was to Bangkok, back in 1961, where he
worked for the US Information Agency. Bea was sent to the
international school, and she very quickly enjoyed her new
surroundings. “I loved Bangkok,” said Bea. “I rode horses
at the Polo Club, took samlors, I liked Thai food. It was
fun,” she said, with eyes still sparkling with the memory.
Unfortunately, her father died and she
returned to America, to Washington DC, to finish her high
schooling. By the time that period of her life was almost over,
she was the editor of the high school paper, and so she decided
that she wanted to be a journalist.
Towards that end she went to a Liberal Arts
College for their four year course, working on local newspapers
(similar to Chiangmai Mail) for one month each year, but
before she was swallowed up in copy paper and printer’s ink
she became aware of an experimental fellowship program in Asia.
“Remembering Bangkok, I wanted to come to Thailand, so I
applied for Chiang Mai - and got it,” said Bea triumphantly.
That fellowship saw her working at Chiang Mai
University, teaching English for the next two and a half years,
but like all good things that must come to an end, she had to
return to the US.
She worked through some small unimportant
jobs until she became a copy editor for the Dow Jones financial
news group in New York. “There was the day that I dropped
three zeros from IBM’s quarterly figures,” said Bea,
laughing at the memory of the chaos she could have caused, if
the slip had not been caught by a vigilant sub-editor down the
line!
But by now she was married to a Foreign
Service officer in the US State Department offices, and she knew
that her life was to be one of travel. Their first assignment
was to China, with Bea influencing her husband’s decision with
her interest in Asia engendered by her two spells in Thailand.
As a spouse she was entitled to study with State Department
sponsorship, so she sat and learned Chinese in Washington for
the next 12 months.
Bea and her husband spent 12 months in Taiwan
and two years in Beijing, but Bea, during this period, was also
accepted by the Foreign Service as an officer, and returned to
Washington for her own training.
Remaining in Asia, the State Department, now
with two Foreign Service Officers under the one roof, sent them
both to Bangkok, for Bea’s third stay in the Kingdom.
I asked Bea how they managed to get postings
together. “We always got jobs together - but they were not
necessarily the ‘best’ jobs for career advancement,” she
admitted.
The next joint posting was away from Asia,
and it seems that Bea’s husband had the major influence in
this decision. They went to Sweden for four years. “My husband
like Bergman movies,” said Bea! Whilst that on paper sounds a
fairly flimsy reason, I am sure there were other ones! Bea
describing the posting, “It was a terrific job for me. It was
a wonderful assignment.” However, she did add the rider, “I
just didn’t know it at the time.”
By now Bea was also juggling the duties of
motherhood, as well as the Foreign Service, and they returned to
Washington for three years, putting the children in American
schools.
However, when in the Foreign Service, you
obviously do not spend too much time unpacking, as they were
soon off to Hungary, “My husband’s choice. It was fabulous,
great food and wine and the history!”
After three years it was time to return home
as her youngest son wanted to finish his high school education,
and her husband wanted to retire. Bea did say, “None of these
(moves) were huge sacrifices.” So the next five years were
spent in Washington. She also described being in the Foreign
Service as being one where the officers are looked after. “You
change jobs frequently, but you’ll always have a job.”
With the family settled and educated, Bea the
world traveler and job changer was ready again. This time for
her fourth stint in Thailand, and second in Chiang Mai, now as
the new consul-general, which she described as, “There’s no
better job by my standards!” She also very quickly added, “I
wasn’t plotting this for 20 years!” all said with a huge
smile and a laugh.
I asked whether she had ever found that her
duties in the Foreign Service could have been at cross-purposes
with her own personal political ideals, but she parried with,
“You are representing the United States. I’ve never been in
the position where I couldn’t live with myself. As you get
older and wiser you realize there’s a long term aspect to
life.”
So now Bea (and her husband) are here in
Chiang Mai, and what was in their luggage? Their bicycles! “I
like bicycling. We’ve joined the Sunday Bike Club. I like it
as a form of transportation, and promoting cycling is a
politically worthwhile cause.”
Bea Camp comes through as an amazing woman. Despite being a
State Department official, she has retained her own persona, but
happy to acknowledge that the Department has given her great
opportunities in life. She is the personification of “Carpe
diem!” I am sure you will enjoy Chiang Mai once again, Bea!
