Facts about Jim Thompson: Thai Silk and Mysterious Disappeared

VIVA – Jim Thompson, in full, James H. W. Thompson is a businessman from the United States, at first. His name became popular for revitalizing the silk fabric industry in Thailand. He is the son of a wealthy textile manufacturer, born in 1906.

Thompson started his education at Princeton University and studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. After working as an architect in New York, Thompson served as an officer in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II in various regions with Bangkok as his final destination.

He became a collector of Thai art and built a house in Bangkok, which is now used as a museum. So, here are facts about Jim Thompson, as quoted from various sources.

After training as an architect, Thompson failed the licensed architect qualification exam three times in the late 1930s. He even pleaded with the college council to consider his score but was refused.

Thompson served as an officer with an assigned area in Bangkok. In the post-war period in 1947, he returned to Thailand permanently and became interested in the old silk weaving industry.

Through his influential contacts in the United States, he began selling luxury silk in New York and elsewhere. His business became so successful that he founded his own silk company in 1948.

4. Ever being a spy

Before entering the silk industry, Thompson was a military officer who served as a spy. Although many of his activities with the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) are unknown, it is rumored that Thompson worked to defuse conflicts along the Thai border.

5. Disappeared and never found

In late March 1967, Thompson was traveling in the Cameron Highlands region of Malaysia with some acquaintances. One day, he decided to go for a morning walk on his own but never returned.

His search was one of the biggest manhunts in Southeast Asian history. But they never found him. Several speculations about Thompson's disappearance are still debated today: eaten by wild animals, kidnapped at the border, or believed to have faked his death to start a new life elsewhere.