Dear Chandra3,

Thanks for your suggestion.

I am sorry I will not be able to come up with a summary of my book at this point in time. It's just that I am too tied up with a lot of things to do.

I hope I will be able to find some time in the near future to feature the contents of my book in excerpt form.

what do you like about cameron highlands

The quietude of the Kamunting precinct.

I read your book... Any possibility of featuring an excerpt of your work in this forum?

Dear Reuben,

Thanks for coming up with the idea of having the excerpts from my book featured in this forum.

Below is the first instalment of my work which touches on the things you're to take note of while going for a walk at the Highlands.


As far as possible, do not start a walk late in the afternoon. Depending on its distance, some paths can take as long as three to five hours to cover.

If, by chance, you lose your way, do not continue on from wherever you are. It would be wise to stop and return to where you first came from.

Whether you are going for a long walk or a short one, do not burden yourself with a whole load of items. A compass, a reliable map, a whistle, a lighter, a filled water bottle, a torch, a raincoat, a jack knife and some snacks are some of the things you should bring along with you.

Whatever it is, do not go for a walk all by yourself. If you do so, do keep someone informed of the track you intend to take and the time you are expected to be back.


Excerpts from Prologue, page ix, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King.

Instalment No. 2

The hunt for Jim Thompson


The hunt was for one man. He came to the Cameron Highlands for a short holiday. Two days later, he disappeared.

When he left the villa, no one was supposedly kept informed. His friends took it that he had gone for a mid-afternoon stroll. They were quite sure he would return by six. When he failed to do so, they began to sense that something was amiss. To ascertain as to what was possibly wrong, one of them got into his car and made his way to a nearby club. He had high hopes of meeting him along the way. But his drive in that direction drew a blank. For a while, he was in two minds as to what he should do next. A little later, he felt that it would be wise of him to give a call to his rental agents to see if they could be of any help. Just after he had done so, he went ahead and kept in touch with the police. He was told that word of his friend's disappearance would be made known to the settlements in the area. It was also revealed to him that if his friend failed to show up, an inquiry would be conducted the next morning.

On his return from the station, he came into contact with two visitors: one was his rental agent; the other was a major from the British army. After a short discussion, they left the premises and made their way to a nearby hill. The place was given a brief inspection but their quest to spot him did not amount to much. Puzzled as to where he could possibly be found, the two returned to the detached house to see if they could gather more clues with regard to his likely whereabouts. A little after midnight, they left the cottage and made another attempt to find for him at an entirely different location. But their second endeavour, like the first, produced no results.

At sunrise, about five policemen showed up at the bungalow. After taking down his particulars, they left the scene. Later that day, the police, with the help of thirty aborigines, carried out a search of their own. Their review was relatively thorough but there was just no trace of him. Before noon, word of his mysterious disappearance began to spread like wild fire. By now, more than a hundred people were looking high and low for him. The area was given a once-over but their hunt proved to be a disappointment.


Excerpts from Chapter One, pages 1 and 2, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King.

Instalment No. 3

Glimpses of the past


James (Jim) Harrison Wilson Thompson was born on March 21, 1906 in Greenville, Delaware, USA. He spent his early years of education at St Paul's boarding school. He later went on to enrol at Princeton. Post-graduate studies followed at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Architecture but he failed to get his degree at this institution due to his weakness in calculus.

In 1931, he settled for a career which involved the designing of homes for the East Coast rich. In the initial stages of his employment, he found his assignments to be both rewarding and satisfying. After a while, the glamour of being an architect lost its attention for him. In 1941, he gave up his job and joined the Delaware National Guard. Five years later, he was commissioned as a lieutenant. Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, he was transferred to a military outpost in Fort Monroe, Virginia. It was here that he got to know two persons, both of whom were to have a dramatic impact on his life.


Excerpts from Chapter Two, page 3, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 4

Jim's founding of the Thai Silk Company


Jim was particularly excited that silk was gradually becoming a hit among the fashion-conscious. While moving around, he came across a run-down shop which sold Thai silk. For a while, he toyed with the idea that he could improve on the quality of the material. But he realised he was unable to do so immediately because of a shortage of funds. That same year, however, a chance came his way. He met George Barrie, an old-time friend from Santa Monica, California. He brought George to the Chinese silk shop. George was amazed at what he saw. At first sight, he knew Thai silk had the potential of being a marketable item. Towards the end of 1948, George partnered Jim to form the Thai Silk Company. It was capitalised at US$25,000. They each bought eighteen per cent of its shares. The remaining sixty-four per cent were sold to both Thai and foreign investors.

Excerpts from Chapter Three, page 7, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 5

Jim's 'House on the Klong'


Jim was unlike any other figure in Southeast Asia. He was an American, an ex-architect, a retired army officer, a one-time spy, a silk merchant, a millionaire and a renowned collector of antiques. Most of his treasures, if not all, were amassed since the day he first came to Thailand. As time slipped by, his assortment outgrew its surroundings and this left him with not much of a choice but to find a suitable place to house them. For quite some time he toyed with the idea of constructing a dwelling which was quite unlike any other in the region. Apart from serving as his place of residence, it also had to double up as a repository for his artefacts. It was a tall order, no doubt, but he managed to achieve it nevertheless. Using parts of old up-country houses - some as old as a hundred and twenty years - he succeeded in completing his 'House on the Klong' in 1959. It was basically a colony of six traditional houses which were reassembled into his much larger place of abode. The units were dismantled and brought over via river from the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya. On arrival, they were carefully offloaded and pieced together. Of the six, three were left untouched.

In his quest for authenticity, he saw to it that the imposing structures were elevated a full floor above the ground. During the construction stage, he added his own touches to the buildings by positioning, for instance, a central staircase indoors rather than having it outside. Along the way, he also reversed the wall panels in his home so that it now faced inside instead of it having an external orientation.

While the final outcome of his domicile may not have been as what one would expect traditionally, it could be taken that Jim had a certain fondness for it. After he was through with its creation, he went ahead and filled his home with the items which he had collected over the years. Scattered about his rooms were scores of Chinese blue-and-white Ming pieces, Belgian glass, Cambodian stone figures, Victorian chandeliers, five-coloured Bencharong, Thai stone images, Burmese statues and a dining table which was once used by King Rama V of Thailand.

In all, his mammoth 'House on the Klong' took up close to a hectare in area. The garden around the habitation was nothing short of a lush, well-kept mini-jungle. On it stood a typical Thai spirit house.

It took Jim almost a year to put his house in order. On completion, it turned out to be an architectural masterpiece. The press were quick to describe it as 'one of the wonders of the East'. In several ways, they were right: till today, it stands out as one of Bangkok's most charming attractions.


Excerpts from Chapter Four, pages 9 and 10, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 6

Jim visits the Cameron Highlands


There is no doubt that Jim was, in very many ways, responsible for bringing the Thai silk industry to the forefront. It started off with nothing new; over time, Thai silk, which was unknown to the outside world, grew in both demand and popularity. Jim was especially proud of his contribution; it gave him a deep sense of joy and accomplishment. However, his success came with a price. To a large extent, it drained him.

His friends and business associates were well aware of the fact that his work was slowly beginning to have an effect on his health. Out of good cheer, they encouraged him to take a break. He did so.

On Friday, March 24, 1967, he and Mrs. Constance Mangskau, 59, took the occasion to holiday at Malaysia's Cameron Highlands. Located on the north-western tip of Pahang, the outpost is one of Malaysia's most extensive hill stations. It is about fifty kilometres off the main Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh-Butterworth road at Tapah, Perak.

The Highlands has long been a favourite stopover for the many who want to escape from the heat of the lowlands. It got its name from William Cameron, a British surveyor who was commissioned by the then colonial government to map out the area in 1885. In a statement concerning his mapping expedition, William mentioned that he saw a 'vortex in the mountains, while for a (reasonably) wide area we have gentle slopes and plateau land'.

When approached, the late Sir Hugh Low, the Resident of Perak, expressed the wish of developing the flat terrain as a 'sanatorium, health resort and open farmland'. But it was not until twenty years later that the first pioneers managed to find their way to the top of 'Cameron's Land'. They were soon followed by tea planters and vegetable growers who found the fertile soil, good drainage and cool climate to be especially suitable for the growing of their crops.

On the whole, the Highlands can be considered as a world in miniature. It occupies the smallest constituency in Pahang, taking up an area of around 448 square kilometres. To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak. During the day, the temperature seldom soars above 25 degrees Celsius. At night, it is quite the opposite: the temperature can sometimes drop to as low as 3 degrees Celsius. The cool climate makes it an ideal place for tea to be grown. The growing of tea had its beginnings in 1926 when the British started the first plantations with saplings brought over from India. Today, there are no less than five established tea estates at the haven.

Apart from tea, the moorland is also noted for its insect life, jungle tracks, waterfalls, soaring peaks, scenic spots and last but not least, it awe-inspiring natives.

The aborigines of the region are believed to have migrated into the area long before the arrival of the Malays. On the surface, their lifestyle has always been made out to be both primitive and backward. But this has gradually changed over the years. While many have left to take up employment and residence in the nearby towns, there are still some who prefer to treat the jungle as their home. The woodlands that they live in can be considered as thick and dense but the challenges that it has to offer are indeed varied. Many who have been to the terminal have acknowledged this to be so. Jim was no exception. He found the appeal of the forest to be both irresistible and infinite. So too did his friend, Dr Tien Gi Ling, a Singaporean-Chinese chemist and Helen, his white American-born wife.


Excerpts from Chapter Five, pages 13-15, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 7 (a)

Jim's close shave


The Lings were the owners of Moonlight bungalow, a Tudor-style dwelling which is located at No. A47, Jalan Kamunting, 39000, Tanah Rata. Situated about two kilometres from Jalan Besar, the villa is actually somewhere between the townships of Tanah Rata and Brinchang.

As far as Jim and Constance were concerned, this was their third invitation to the Ling's estate. It could be said that the foursome not only got along well; by the same token, all four shared the same love and fondness for the jungle.

When they met up on Friday, their get-together did not take up very much of their time. This was due to the fact that they reached the bungalow at different times: the first to do so was Dr Ling; Jim and Constance were next; Helen, who was tied up with a business deal, arrived at eight. The trip up was no joke - they all found it to be long and taxing. After a short dinner, they agreed to call it a day.

The next morning, while the two ladies were engrossed with their conversation, Jim and Dr Ling took the occasion to explore the tropical rainforest for themselves. They were just as anxious to try out a new trail which Dr Ling had previously discovered. After the hike, they were supposed to meet up with the two ladies at a nearby club. But their afternoon plan almost turned out to be a nightmare: along the way, it became evident to the two of them that they were lost. When they failed to show up, the women became upset. For a moment, Helen did entertain the thought of wanting to contact the police. It was only after eleven that Jim managed to spot a narrow stream. He carefully traced it and in a matter of an hour or so, they were back to familiar surroundings. Both of them were just as worn out when they strolled into the club. During the hike, Dr Ling had pulled a ligament and it was obvious that he was a bit shaken by his morning adventure. But not so for Jim. He was especially elated that the two of them got lost along the way. While he was at the clubhouse, he gave Constance, Helen and a few of his other friends a rough run down of what transpired while he and Dr Ling were in thick jungle.

When his narration came to an end, the party left the premises and made their way for Moonlight. After lunch, they agreed to have an afternoon siesta.

At about 4.30pm they got up for some tea and gave the garden a brief inspection. After a short dinner, they retired to their respective rooms for a deserving rest.


Excerpts from Chapter Six, pages 17-18, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6)

Instalment No. 7 (b)

Jim's change of mind


The following Sunday morning, they got up early to attend a religious service at a nearby Protestant chapel. Their programme for the day was to spend some time in church following which they were to adjourn for a picnic at Gunong (Mount) Brinchang. While the rest were getting themselves ready, Jim informed them that he would be taking a slow walk to the foot of the hill. He later met up with them at the Jalan Kamunting/Jalan Besar road junction and they all drove on to Tanah Rata to attend the Easter service at All Souls' Church.

When the services came to an end, they returned to their living quarters to collect a hamper which they had earlier put aside for their planned picnic. While they were at the lodge, Jim gave them a surprise by suggesting that the picnic be held in the garden instead. For a moment, the others were taken aback by his sudden change of mind. After some persuasion, they managed to win him over to their original plan.

The drive to their selected site did not take up more than thirty minutes of their time. At the picnic, it became obvious that Jim was not his usual self; he seemed to be troubled by something that had either been said or done. For a short interval, none of them was able to make out what was actually on his mind. Sensing a funny change in his character, the Lings suggested that he take a rest in the open. He declined their offer and preferred instead that their gathering be called off. Not wanting to be a further source of disappointment to him, the trio complied with his request.


Excerpts from Chapter Six, page 18, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 7 (c)

Jim fails to return


They left the site... and got back to their provisional home. Since they had no other plans for the afternoon, it was reported that Jim chose to sit in the hall while the rest opted for their respective rooms.

A short while later, he got up and left the house. After he had gone, it later became evident that he had left his suit jacket over the back of a chair. Apart from this, he also left behind his pill box, a box of cigarettes and a lighter.

During his last visit to the base, which was about five years ago, it was made known that he was stung by hornets about a kilometre from Moonlight. He did then inform Constance and his other friends that he would like to visit this same spot on his next trip. Whether he did so or not, no one really knows. But one thing is for sure: he did leave the chalet for a pre-dinner stroll; he failed to return by 6pm.


Excerpts from Chapter Six, pages 18-19, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 8 (a)

Jim heads for the Lutheran Mission bungalow


On Wednesday, March 29, the police were provided with a few pointers which they found to be especially helpful in their quest to locate Jim.

Che Fatimah binte Mohamed Yeh, 24, a cook at the Lutheran Mission bungalow, told superintendent A.S. Nathan that she saw Jim on Sunday at about 4pm.

'I was in the kitchen,' she said, 'when I saw him come up the road. He had on a white shirt and a pair of gray slacks. He stopped for a while to take a look at the garden. While looking at the plants, he did not speak to anyone. A short while later, he left the premises and headed the same way from where he came.'


Excerpts from Chapter Seven, page 21, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).

Instalment No. 8 (b)

Jim seen at two different locations


In a separate report, a servant employed at the Overseas Mission Fellowship bungalow informed the police that she saw a man who looked like Jim. She said she saw him standing on a plateau which happens to be opposite the mansion. According to her, he was seen standing there at around 4pm. After thirty minutes or so, he was not to be seen.

The last person who saw him was an employee of the former Eastern Hotel (which is now known as the New Garden Inn). He was quite sure he saw someone who resembled Jim heading in the direction of the track which led to the golf course.


Excerpts from Chapter Seven, page 21, SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King (ISBN: 1-932205-89-6).