20th June 2011

Have been so busy with finishing off the second year of Bath Spa university that I haven't been blogging as much as I should have been. Or reading as much as I should have. However, I did recently finish a book entitled 'Jim Thompson: The Legendary American of Thailand,' by William Warren. My Mother's partner, coincidently named Jim Thomson himself, gave me this book to read. I went to Thailand in the Summer of 2009. Whilst I was there I visited the house of Jim Thompson in the country's capital, Bangkok, which is why I find the subject of Jim Thompson so fascinating and why I wanted to read this book about his life.

Jim Thompson was an American businessman that went to live in Thailand during the 1940s. He re-established the failing Thai silk industry and promoted it all around the globe, especially in the U.S. Thanks to his contribution Thailand now has one of the most well known and successful silk industries in the entire world. During an Easter Sunday afternoon in 1967, he went for a stroll in the Malaysian jungle and was never seen again. His disappearance is a huge mystery and remains unsolved today. William Warren aims to give the background of Thompson's life and success and provide some of the facts surrounding the man's disappearance.

My trip to Thompson's house, made of teakwood and filled with antiques, was one of the highlights of my visit to Bangkok. The silk was extremely beautiful and now, after reading Warren's book, I know more about its background. I would love to visit the place again.

Photographs from my visit to Thomson's house:

Read the book by William Warren and then go to Bangkok to see for yourself!!! :)