阮慶
For two years after the dismissal, Đổng remained in politics. He stayed in touch with two friends who had been exiled by Kỳ: Nguyễn Chánh Thi who sided with the monks during the Buddhist Crisis in Central Vietnam and Nguyễn Khánh who was too vocal against American intervention in Vietnamese affairs. During this period, he was sent to several special assignments abroad, most notably to Thailand where his friend and a former Diệm's supporter, general Thái Quang Hoàng was the Ambassador. In June 1967, Kỳ forced the general to retire.