Potteryman
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/05/26 09:14
Edward,
When I checked with MPH Bookstores, they give me another ISBN? According to MPH, the ISBN is 1858638208 and distribute by Horizon Books Ptd Ltd. Is that the same book?
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/05/26 21:33
Dear Potteryman,
Thanks for making an enquiry of my book at MPH Bookstores.
The ISBN which was given to you i.e., 1 85863 820 8 is in reference to my earlier work which was published in the United Kingdom in 1996. This edition is now out of print.
If you're keen in getting hold of a copy of my book, please quote ISBN 1-932205-89-6. This publication is now available in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
Regards and best wishes.
Edward Roy De Souza
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/05/31 22:24
Instalment No. 9 (f)
Dr Ling departs the Cameron Highlands
Later in the afternoon there was a slight change in events: Dr Ling left the district for Singapore; at Moonlight, Helen and Constance continued to wait for Jim's return. They wanted to take care of him in the event that he showed up. Helen informed the media that she took the view that, "despite the dim prospects, everything must be all right with him. We will remain here to see the end of this search. We will be here for as long as we know and believe he will come through safe."
Excerpts from Chapter Eight, page 28, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Potteryman
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/01 10:15
MPH Bookstores informed me that the new edition is coming in two weeks time. If anyone is interested, may be able to book through MPH at Mid Valley or MPH at 1U2?
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/01 22:16
Dear Potteryman,
Thanks for promoting my book on this web site.
I do hope that you would enjoy reading the contents of my work when you get hold of it in due course.
Regards and best wishes.
Edward Roy De Souza
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Mel Siebel
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/06 02:05
I was able to order this book (i live in california) by going to Amazon.com
On another note, my dad was editor of the straits times and we used to go to Cameron's a lot in the mid to late 60's. This story has always fascinated me. Hoping to get the book soon.
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/06 22:39
Dear Mel Siebel,
Thanks for ordering a copy of my book via Amazon.com.
I do hope that you would enjoy reading the contents of my work when it comes your way over the next couple of days.
Regards and best wishes.
Edward Roy De Souza
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/09 18:11
Instalment No. 10
Dr Ling meets a shady character
Dr Ling got back to Singapore the following day. Just after he arrived at his home, he received a call from a man who identified himself as Michael Ian Vermont. He told Dr Ling he had some information with regards to Jim's whereabouts. He asked if he could meet up with Dr Ling to see if they could discuss the subject a little further. Without any hesitation, Dr Ling agreed.
When he arrived at Dr Ling's residence, the visitor seemed a bit nervous. After gaining his composure, he informed Dr Ling that Jim was being kept at a house in Tapah. He added that if Dr Ling was prepared to accompany him to the municipality, the two of them could look into Jim's possible release.
Excerpts from Chapter Nine, page 29, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/16 12:09
Instalment No. 11 (a)
General Black joins in the hunt
Over at Tanah Rata, there was a noticeable change in mood as far as the scouting for Jim was concerned. The operation, which was now in its seventh day, began to gain momentum when it became obvious that brigadier general Edwin Black, the chief of the American support forces in Thailand, would be joining in the hunt.
Before coming over to the resort, the military leader kept in touch with a religious figure to ascertain if he could provide useful insights as to where Jim could be found.
To make it a lot easier for him, the army officer handed him a detailed map of the region. After taking a good look at it, the mystic pointed to a particular spot and encouraged the commander to concentrate his probe on the area which he had highlighted. Equipped with this information, general Black came to the territory with his aide, lieutenant Dennis Horgan and his long-time friend, Dean Frasche. The first thing they did was to visit the address where Jim had stayed. While they were at the double-storied house, Helen and Constance were repeatedly asked about the developments which unfolded prior to the unexplained absence of their friend. Of the two, Constance certainly had a lot more to say.
Excerpts from Chapter Ten, pages 31-32, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/06/23 00:20
Instalment No. 11 (b)
Jim's trip to Moonlight
The threesome were told that just before their coming over to stay with the Lings, Jim and Constance had spent a day in Penang. Since Jim was especially tied up with a lot of last-minute details, it was Constance who took the trouble to finalise their travel arrangements.
When they met up at the airport on Thursday, it became evident to the two of them that Jim was not in line with two statutory requirements. In the first instance, he had failed to get his compulsory cholera inoculation. Apart from this, he had also forgotten to obtain his clearance certificate to show he had no outstanding tax payments with the country's Inland Revenue department. By right, he was not at all supposed to leave the country. Fortunately, Constance knew some of the officials rather well and this helped to smoothen out the irregularities.
The couple left Bangkok as planned and got in to Penang in the afternoon. She recollected that "neither of us had been there before and we were anxious to see the island (for ourselves)." She added: "We hired a car and (while we) were driving around the island... Jim became anxious to return to Georgetown to get a haircut." Constance admitted that she was put off with Jim's unexpected request. She later dropped him off at a barbershop while they were on their way to the Ambassador Hotel where they had earlier booked two rooms for their short outing.
Later that day, the two of them had a quiet dinner at an Indian restaurant, after which they went for an evening stroll. The following morning they got up early, booked a taxi and made their way to the province. While they were on their way to the mainland, the driver of the taxi suddenly stopped his vehicle and left them for about five minutes. He later returned with a relief driver who took over the driving from him.
Apart from this development, they also encountered another change just before they got over to the prefecture. This happened at Tapah where they not only had to deal with a change of drivers but a change of vehicles as well. The next taxi which they were told to board had two Chinese passengers waiting in it. Jim and Constance were totally against the idea of sharing the ride with the other two commuters. After some deliberation, the other two travellers were asked to get off and the driver saw to it that they driven on their own to the outpost.
Excerpts from Chapter Ten, pages 32-33, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/07/02 22:18
Instalment No. 11 (c)
General Black conducts survey of his own
Satisfied with whatever that was brought up, general Black and his team later got together to work out the details of their plan.
The subsequent morning, the threesome got up early and made the necessary arrangements for an aerial tower to be positioned on a water tank near the country house. The device was designed to throw a radar communication 'net' which covered a radius of approximately sixteen kilometres. Lieutenant Horgan was put in charge of the tower and his role was to ensure that a minute-by-minute radio contact was established with his superior's exploration team.
General Black, who was equipped with a portable wireless set, went into the woods to conduct a survey of his own. He was in constant contact with his aide while being accompanied by Dean and two aborigines. Apart from being able to keep in touch with his assistant, general Black was also able to establish radio contact with the other parties who were on the lookout for Jim.
The search conducted on Saturday, April 1, was indeed extensive. Joining in the exploration were two hundred more officers and men from Perak's police field force. They were earlier engaged in a training operation at Tambun near Ipoh. They came to Tanah Rata from Tanjung Rambutan after making their way through the jungle. They were later ordered to merge with the various police parties who were based at the administrative division.
Excerpts from Chapter Ten, page 33, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/07/14 22:54
Instalment No. 11 (d)
General Black calls off his investigations
The following day, there was no let up in their pursuit of Jim: the police carried on with their winnowing from where they had earlier left off; general Black and his crew went about with a separate probe of their own. The Sunday exploration, though intensive, proved to be no more of a success than before.
The morning after, general Black and his team informed the police that they were calling off their investigations. They left the scene and got over to Kuala Lumpur on the same day. While resting at the Malaysian capital, the general told a group of reporters that "there has been absolutely no trace of Jim's whereabouts." "Jim," he said, "has a knowledge of jungle law. This would have enabled him to survive for a few days. On realising that he was lost, he would have been on the lookout for a stream. He would have subsequently followed it expecting to come to a village.
"I find his disappearance rather strange. There has not been a single clue, not a bit of torn clothing or even a shoe. According to the police here, a ransom is usually demanded within a time frame of forty-eight hours. Nothing of that sort has surfaced since the day he went missing."
Excerpts from Chapter Ten, page 34, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the - 2005/07/29 19:22
Instalment No. 12 (a)
Thai Silk Company increases reward for finder of Jim
The hunt for Jim went on uninterruptedly for eleven days. On their part, the police did put in a concerted effort to track him down. On the twelfth day, there was a noticeable downsizing in their operation: more than two hundred officers and men were ordered to leave the neighbourhood and head back for their home base in Perak. Only a skeleton force numbering less than a hundred were instructed to stay behind.
Over in Thailand, the situation was a lot different. The Thai Silk Company, which was monitoring developments closely, announced that the US$10,000 reward for the finder of Jim would be raised by another US$2,500. George Barrie, Jim's close acquaintance and business associate, was the one who came up with the additional offer.
Jim or no Jim, the Thai Silk Company went on to function in much the same way as it previously did. In an exclusive interview with the press, Charles U. Sheffield said, "Until we hear from him, we will just continue producing and selling silk the way we've always done.
"If he does not turn up we would have no choice but to find another designer to replace him. For the time being, we do not want to make any quick changes in the company's general set-up. We believe there is still a good possibility that he will be found."
Excerpts from Chapter Eleven, page 37, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Robert Rochlen
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk King - 2005/07/31 00:56
I remember Jim Thompson
By Robert J. Rochlen
On Sunday March 6, 1967, a mixed group of Americans and Thais set out from Bangkok in Land Rovers and ordinary street vehicles for a remote destination north of the capital. The mission’s stated objective was to photograph cave ceilings to be used for Jim Thompson’s Thai silk prints. It was a motley crew to say the least. I, my sister, my mother, dad, who was the photographer assigned to do the job, Jim Thompson, Lisa Lyons, a Thai art expert, and a couple of Thai museum officials. My brother Roger, being academically inclined, chose to stay home.
Jim had requested my dad take care of the photography. Though his current job description at the time did not include the designation of ‘professional photographer,’ he had previously taken photographs for Life Magazine, and was asked to aid on this trip because of his close friendship with Jim and Lisa, and because of his prior workings with Bangkok’s National Museum.
My dad first met Jim Thompson in September of 1955. They had been introduced the very same month of his new diplomatic posting in Bangkok by Bob Lasher, an American working at USIS. At that time, Jim still lived in his house near the Dusit Thani Hotel. Over the next following month and two years, they became close friends and both my parents were over at his house frequently for dinner. After a year of intensive Thai language training, my parents were back in Bangkok for another three years from December, 1958 to December, 1961, as they continued their friendship with Jim. And they went on trips together, including one up the River Kwai. That too was in search of caves.
In August of 1965 Dad was posted to Saigon, and he would come to Bangkok every three of four months to visit the family, and it was during one of these sojourns that the cave expedition was consummated. I was oblivious to much of what was happening at the time, and I don’t even know if the cave pictures were taken, though I feel with some degree of certainty that any such ceiling pictures never ended up on Jim’s Thai silk prints. But I do have pictures from the trip, and certain memories of that day.
I remember that the street vehicles had to be left at a point away from the cave or caves, and that that was the purpose of the Land Rovers; to access unsuitable terrain. I remember climbing on rocks, a hot day, dirt, and dust, but the caves, if they existed, remain a mystery to me. I remember Jim saying he wanted to walk back ahead of the Land Rover, and we told him we’d pick him up on the way back to our starting out point. And as we rode back, we kept looking for Jim, and it was a long time, and many miles before we caught up with him. We found him, tired, exhausted, dehydrated, and sapped of energy.
Little could we have imagined that this was an ominous portent of events that was soon to unfold. On March 27, 1967, three weeks after our Sunday excursion north of Bangkok, Jim Thompson once again set a lonely sail into the wilderness. Was this a man coming to terms with his previous life as an O.S.S. officer? Was he a tired man on a rendezvous with his Maker? Was this world no longer his home? I don’t know what happened on that day, but I can’t help but think of a hot afternoon three weeks before as a man set off on trial run of what was to become his rendezvous with destiny.
|
|
|
reply | quote |
Edward Roy De Souza
Visitor
|
Re:SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk King - 2005/08/02 22:13
Dear Robert Rochlen,
Thanks for bringing to light something which I did not know of.
I have to admit, it came as a surprise to me that three weeks before Jim disappeared from the Cameron Highlands, he was involved in a cave expedition which later resulted in him being separated from you and the rest of the group.
I do not know what he had to say when you and your team caught up with him "many miles" away from the agreed starting out point. If he did have something to say, please feel free to share it with us.
Regards and best wishes.
|
|
|
reply | quote |
|
Forums