The Jim Thompson Story

Mimi and I love everything about silk.  The way it feels.  The way it drapes.  Everything.  So, of course, when I was in Bangkok I had to visit Jim Thompson's home.  After World War II, he helped revitalize the dying cottage industry of handwoven silk in Thailand.  Thai silk is exceptionally beautiful because of its jewel-tones and luster, but people were only weaving it for themselves to be worn for special occasions. The weavers could not compete with the low prices of machine-made textiles from factories in Europe and Japan.

Jim Thompson was a Renaissance man.  He was born in Delaware in 1906, and as a young man studied architecture and moved to New York City to work.  He joined the army during the war and was assigned to the OSS (Office of Strategic Services).  He traveled to North Africa and Asia on missions and then remained in Bangkok after the war, having fallen in love with the country.  He took several pieces of Thai silk to New York City to see if he could market it and history was made.  Demand for the beautiful fabric exploded.

His home is a "must see" for anyone who loves architecture and antiques.  The one-half acre compound really consists of six traditional Thai-style houses, all purchased from various parts of the country.  Each teak house is filled with Asian antiques, artwork, and tropical flowers.

However, the Jim Thompson story does not end with his life.  His mysterious disappearance is still a topic of many dinner conversations.  During Easter weekend in 1967, he disappeared while hiking in the Cameron Highlands.  There was a massive search, but he was never found.

The Cameron Highlands are located in Malaysia and famous for its tea plantations.  It is called a  "hill station" in the guide books but it is really a fairy-tale forest of emerald green.  The best way to experience its beauty is to walk and walk we did.  I could not help thinking of the many theories surrounding Thompson's death as I trekked along.  Did he slip and fall down a cliff?  Was he eaten by a tiger?  Murdered?  Would I be the one to find his remains?  Mimi and I think it was none of the above.  Surely he would have been found by now.  He was a former spy, after all, and had extensive training during the war in survival skills and espionage.    I think he had been planning his disappearance for years and that he and his lover lived anonymously in the Seychelles to a ripe old age.