Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/10/26 18:25
Instalment No. 14 (a)
To each his own
The departure of Jim was not only puzzling; it also stirred many to come up with their own conclusions. One such speculation was that while he was in the forest, Jim accidentally came into contact with an attractive 'love-starved' girl. After a brief acquaintance, he went ahead and married her.
An Iban, when told of this reasoning, found it to be rather hard to accept. He said, "Such a development is unlikely to have happened. What could have possibly unfolded is this: while he was trying to find his way through the jungle, he could have been spotted by an aborigine without his even knowing it. I supposed the native must have made use of his blowpipe and blew a dart straight into him."
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 47, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/11/05 15:42
Instalment No. 14 (b)
British mind reader thinks otherwise
A British mind reader did not think that this was likely the case. He alleged that Jim was very much like an old elephant. Jim, he sensed, was well aware that it was "more or less time for him to die. To die in the city of Bangkok made no sense at all to him. The impenetrable vegetation of the Malaysian 'alps' seemed more appropriate. So on Sunday, March 26, when the Lings were in their bedroom and his friend Constance was in a different room, he quietly left the house and made his way for the woods. While he was on the uncultivated land, he kept on walking for as long as his legs could carry him. A few days later, he collapsed in exhaustion and died."
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 47, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/11/10 21:30
Instalment No. 14 (c)
Jim run down by truck
A Caucasian lady, however, made it out to be otherwise. She mentioned that she was informed by "a very reliable source that Jim was run down by a truck while he was heading for the main road. On realising that he had done wrong, the driver quickly dumped the mangled body into the rear of his vehicle and later saw to it that it was disposed of quietly."
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 47, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/11/23 19:57
Instalment No. 14 (d)
Jim disappears from the scene
A lawyer, when informed about this piece of speculation, took it to be "a little out of this world". Based on reports which he read of in the press, he was sure that Jim did not go into the forest at all. "If he had done so," he said, "he would have been found."
"Jim," he reasoned, "was not a stupid person. He must have been in some difficulty which he found hard to overcome. Such being the case, he had to make it appear as though he was going for a long-deserved vacation. Along the way, he vanished from the scene."
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 48, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/11/30 22:42
Instalment No. 14 (e)
Thais interpret things differently
A number of Thais were of the conviction that Jim could have, knowingly or unknowingly, positioned a newly acquired image in an entirely wrong area of his house. This act of carelessness, they sensed, could have brought about much sorrow and anguish to the idol in question. To teach him a good lesson, the spirit made him go round in circles. Being stubborn, he chose not to repent. It was because of this, they reasoned, that he has continued to remain disorientated all this while.
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 49, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/12/08 22:05
Instalment No. 14 (f)
Jim loses his sense of direction
Apart from the Thais, the Malaysians too had their own views: it ranged from his being "kidnapped" to his "slipping and falling into an animal trap".
Across the Causeway, however, most Singaporeans were of the opinion that Jim could have been lost "as a result of losing his sense of direction". They felt that "if he could get his bearing right, he should be able to find his way back in no time at all".
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 49, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/12/16 21:58
Instalment No. 14 (g)
Jim drifts into the jungle
When asked for his assessment, Dr Ling mentioned that it is a fact that Jim "was by nature an adventurous person. (It is common knowledge) that he had a particular interest in wild plants". He felt that it was more these two factors than anything else that could have "carried him further into the jungle".
Excerpts from Chapter Thirteen, page 50, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Chandra3
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/12/18 14:00
While scrolling through http://www.bookfinder.com, I came across something interesting: your book is sold for as low as S$16.81 and a high of S$203.69. Why is that so?
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/12/22 21:08
Dear Chandra3,
I suppose it has a lot to do with demand and supply.
If you have a copy of my book, please hold on to it. You never can tell, one fine day it may be worth more than what you paid for it.
Regards and best wishes.
Edward Roy De Souza
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denise ma
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/12/24 20:45
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope your book sells well in the coming year.
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/12/25 18:43
Dear Denise Ma,
Thanks for the holiday greetings.
I do hope that 2006 would be a good year for you.
Regards and best wishes.
Edward Roy De Souza
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2006/01/02 12:39
Instalment No. 15
Jim's sister found dead
The last appearance of Jim was unique in many ways: for the next few weeks, his eclipse was not only discussed at length; equally interesting, it became a subject which refused to die off on its own.
While many were still trying to figure out how he got lost, an odd development came to light approximately five months after he went astray. This incident not only threw up a lot of questions; it also added a fresh dimension to his strange exit from the resort.
On Wednesday, August 30, it was reported that his older sister, Mrs. Katherine Thompson Wood, 74, was found dead in her Pennsylvania home. The police were of the opinion that a blunt object was used to carry out the murder. But they were positive that her death had no relationship whatsoever to Jim's departure from the refuge. While some were inclined to accept it as such, there were just as many others who were not at all prepared to do so.
Excerpts from Chapter Fourteen, page 55, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2006/01/14 23:21
Instalment No. 16
Did Jim plan his disappearance?
The mystery of Jim was not only a topic which enjoyed a fair measure of flexibility; it was also a subject which many found hard to resist. From the time he went astray, more than a dozen theories have been advanced to best explain his insubstantiality. So far, none have been particularly convincing. Why is that so? Simple.
To begin with, what were Jim's motives for coming over to the Highlands? Moreover, what did he have in mind on completion of his stay at the area? According to Constance, "...he was a tired man... That was why he came here for a holiday." She was also quoted in the press as saying that "he was looking forward to going back to Bangkok", that is, on completion of his outing at the refuge. But was this his real plan?
Excerpts from Chapter Sixteen, page 59, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
PS: This is the last instalment for my non-fiction novel. I do hope you found the contents enlightening. If you have any queries, please feel free to keep in touch with me. My e-mail address is roysouza@singnet.com.sg.
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chiehchee
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2006/04/25 14:05
Edward,
Been lost for some time, starting a new book? miss all your post.
will you be coming up to Cameron Highlands again this year?
Regards,
Lew
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Edward Roy De Souza
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Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2006/06/05 23:27
Dear Chieh Chee,
Thanks for the posting.
If all goes well, I should be at the Highlands come October. Meanwhile, please take care of yourself.
Regards and best wishes.
Edward Roy De Souza
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