THE CHINESE COMMUNISTS CONTRIBUTE BOTH IDEOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION TO THE THAI INSURGENCY. IN ASSESSING THE VARIABLES PROPOSED IN THE MODEL OF STRATEGIC FACTORS AND THEIR LINKAGES, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE THAI INSURGENCY IS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY TYPE, HAS STRONG ORGANIZATION, AND IS LIKELY TO BE A FACTOR IN FUTURE THAI POLITICS, ALTHOUGH IT DOES PRESENTLY (1974) POSE A THREAT TO THE REGIME. IN ASSESSING THIS INSURGENCY ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT RESPONSE, ORGANIZATION OF THE INSURGENTS, ENVIRONMENT, POPULAR SUPPORT, AND EXTERNAL SUPPORT, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE INSURGENCY FEEDS ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY TO COUNTRIES WILLING TO SUPPORT THE INSURGENCY, FAVORABLE BUT VARIED TERRAIN AND CLIMATE, COMPARATIVE ISOLATION, ETHNIC DIFFERENCES, AND ECONOMIC DISPARITY. MORAL AND MATERIAL AID COMES FROM CHINA, NORTH VIETNAM, AND THE PATHET LAO. THE TCP HAS CONSOLIDATED LEADERSHIP OF THE INSURGENCY AND THE MOVEMENT IS COHESIVE. FOOTNOTES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (RFC)