26 March 1967

Thompson vanishes in jungles of Malaysia

Millionaire American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson disappeared in the jungles of central Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, prompting police to use tracker dogs to hunt for him.

Thompson, 61, had arrived in the area on March 23 after flying from Bangkok to Penang and travelling onward by road. Three days later, on Easter Sunday, Thompson set off alone on a walk from the cottage where he was staying, which belonged to Singaporean friends.

When Thompson failed to return for dinner, his hosts notified the police. He was never seen again. Theories initially focused on the possibility of wild animals or kidnappers. Some observers suggested that the disappearance might have been political because Thompson had served as an intelligence officer in the United States’ Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Thompson’s Thai Silk Company offered a generous reward for help in finding him. The massive search was hindered because no one had any idea in which direction he had walked. Officials later dismissed suggestions by a British-born ‘mind reader’ who said Thompson might have committed suicide

The most likely explanation they said was that he had fallen into an aboriginal animal trap (a pit with a spike) and was buried by local tribespeople when they discovered what had happened. On April 4, the official search ended after 300 policemen and over 100 volunteers failed to find any clues. A resident of Thailand since 1946, Thompson had recognised the potential of Thai silk and almost single-handedly made it world-renowned.

26 March 1967

Thompson vanishes in jungles of Malaysia

Millionaire American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson disappeared in the jungles of central Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, prompting police to use tracker dogs to hunt for him.

Thompson, 61, had arrived in the area on March 23 after flying from Bangkok to Penang and travelling onward by road. Three days later, on Easter Sunday, Thompson set off alone on a walk from the cottage where he was staying, which belonged to Singaporean friends.

When Thompson failed to return for dinner, his hosts notified the police. He was never seen again. Theories initially focused on the possibility of wild animals or kidnappers. Some observers suggested that the disappearance might have been political because Thompson had served as an intelligence officer in the United States’ Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Thompson’s Thai Silk Company offered a generous reward for help in finding him. The massive search was hindered because no one had any idea in which direction he had walked. Officials later dismissed suggestions by a British-born ‘mind reader’ who said Thompson might have committed suicide

The most likely explanation they said was that he had fallen into an aboriginal animal trap (a pit with a spike) and was buried by local tribespeople when they discovered what had happened. On April 4, the official search ended after 300 policemen and over 100 volunteers failed to find any clues. A resident of Thailand since 1946, Thompson had recognised the potential of Thai silk and almost single-handedly made it world-renowned.