The Jim Thompson Story

American Jim Thompson has been known for decades as the ‘Father of Thai Silk’, and this year on the centenary of his birth, Thailand celebrates the man responsible for the silk industry’s significant revival. Easter Sunday 1967 dawned warm and peaceful as Thompson, away for the weekend at a rest-house in the Cameron Highlands region of Malaysia, set off on his daily solitary walk. On this particular day no one saw him leave and no one heard him return. After an absence of several hours, local authorities were alerted, and teams sent out to comb the areas where he frequently hiked. The search lasted for weeks; no evidence of Thompson was found, and to this day, his mysterious disappearance has never been explained.

*************

As World War II came to an end in 1945, many Americans remained as civilians in different corners of the world rather than return home to the United States.

Jim Thompson, a former agent for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) -- the covert wartime US intelligence service -- was one of those people searching for new opportunity and adventure.

His assignment to the Far East had been to parachute into northeastern Thailand to begin a resistance force against the Japanese. After Hiroshima and Japan’s subsequent defeat however, his mission was aborted.

Arriving in Bangkok shortly after the war ended, Jim fell in love with the hospitable, exotic culture and people of Thailand; he stayed on to re-establish the American Embassy and the restoration of the well-known but aged Oriental Hotel.

By chance, and through his travels to the northeastern provinces, Thompson came into contact with the vanishing Thai silk industry. In the past, the production and sale of colorful raw silk had brought precious extra income to northeastern farmers, but early in the 20th century, when Chinese and Japanese mass-produced silks hit the marketplace, the rather small Thai silk cottage industry declined profoundly.

When Thompson came into the scene, a few farmers were still producing small quantities of raw silk; comparing samples, he noted the material was coarse and rutted, bold in color and quite different from the smooth, machine-made silks most people in the west were familiar with. He felt certain that silk of such extraordinary texture, raw beauty and boldness would command world-wide market demand if its production were suitably promoted and structured.

Learning as much as possible about silk and the business of restoring the industry, Thompson found that the practice of traditional silk-making was lengthy and difficult. The woven, bold colors were obtained from dying the material by hand using mostly natural vegetable dyes; then, hand-woven again on bamboo looms; the resulting creation a riot of vivid groupings of lime and mulberry, cobalt and crimson hues.

Finding enduring weaving families within the vastness of Bangkok province wasn’t easy, but Thompson finally came upon a silk-weaving district known as Ban Krua. Here he discovered a small Muslim community of weavers who made the beautiful raw silk brocade he was so taken with. Although their business was promptly fading, the community was flattered by the idea of rejuvenating their traditional livelihood. Persuaded by Mr. Thompson, a few weavers agreed to make colorful sample lengths of different patterned silks for Jim to promote overseas.

Through American connections in New York City, Jim approached fashion magazine editors and designers who, apparently, within days examined the silk material, approving of its quality and distinction. A few months later, Thai silks adorned models that graced the glossy pages of Vogue. With almost overnight success, the weavers of Ban Krua began the prosperous revitalization of Thai silk along with the many communities of silk masters in other areas of the country. Under Jim Thompson’s direction, his personal fortune and the Thai Silk Industry thrived significantly. In 1948 Thompson established the Thai Silk Company Ltd., encouraging production to be done in the traditional manner of centuries before. The silk manufacturing revival was welcomed by the Royal Family and by all Thais; growing competition from other silk business manufacturers provided the necessary and beneficial tool in the industry’s revitalization.

**************

The Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company Ltd. continues to grow today and their high quality silks are globally renowned for their uniqueness and color. The corporation employs more than twenty thousand people, and although factories are now using automated machinery, cottage-industry silk still continues to be woven in Thailand.

Jim Thompson’s legacy has grown exponentially since his disappearance in 1967.To this day, speculation about his fate continues. Although no trace of him was ever found, it was rumored that he’d been kidnapped by either communists or perhaps business competitors who wanted him out of the picture. Nonetheless, through the years people came to believe that he may have fallen into a hidden cave and then eaten by wild animals. Whatever the truth may be, Jim Thompson’s fate still remains a mystery.

Only 61 at the time of his disappearance, Jim Thompson’s life and death have become legendary and romanticized all over Thailand. The resurrection of the silk industry; the enterprising, heirless business corporation left behind, plus an affluent traditional teak home -- now a museum of priceless Southeast Asian arts -- the Jim Thompson spirit lives on. The Thai Silk Company Ltd. has branch stores all over Southeast Asia as well as Europe and the USA.

More reading can be done on the subject of the legendary ‘silk king’ Jim Thompson, if interested. An attention-grabbing book by William Warren entitled, “Jim Thompson, the Unsolved Mystery” has been out for quite some time.

Hill Tribes of Thailand

Early last year we visited some of the mountainous hill-tribe areas of northern Thailand; the chilly, dry weather was a welcome blessing after living in tropical Bangkok for several months. The various ethnic minorities scattered along the hills intrigued me, for they have preserved their own language, spiritual beliefs, distinct culture, and colorful style of dress.

The major ethnic clusters in Thailand include Hmong; Karen; Yao; Akha; Lisu; and Lahu. All groups are hospitable and encourage visitors to their villages, providing the unique opportunity to see and experience their lifestyle. After some research, I’ve learned that for the most part, the tribes journeyed to Thailand from the frozen expanses of Mongolia and Tibet by way of western China within the last 300 years; this, being part of a continuing exodus of ancient cultures who filtered south in search of freedom, labor, and better living conditions. For a time, Chinese Nationalists attempted outlawing ethnic groups from speaking their own languages and practicing their culture; fortunately, without much success. The hill tribes’ beginnings are shrouded in myth, and are as hazy and muted as the daybreak mist that cloaks their hills. Within their semi-nomadic pace, the hill tribes moved gradually, avoiding social unrest and war, always motivated by their need for new land. Close to half a million people from 20 different ethnic groups are estimated to reside in Thailand as well as Cambodia, some still in Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar (Burma). When the United States pulled out of Southeast Asia in the mid 1970’s, the Hmong, who had fought alongside U.S. forces in Vietnam and against the communist element in Laos, became the target of brutal retaliation from the new governments. During their escape across the Mekong River to seek refuge within Thai borders, tens of thousands of Hmong perished at the hands of the Communist Pathet Lao, the victims of hunger and chemical-biological warfare. I visited a Hmong village not far from Chiang Mai because in an earlier period I had come in contact with a group of Hmong people who had migrated to the USA from Laos in the early 1980’s. Our son’s best friend in first grade was Hmong and now, here in Thailand, I became curious to learn about this group’s rare traditional background.

There are an estimated 12 different Hmong hill tribe clans in Thailand, subdivided into Blue Hmong and White Hmong, distinguishable only by their different style and color of dress. While long ago some of the tribal groups’ income came from fields of poppies to produce opium, they now earn a livelihood through conventional agriculture. Most survive by harvesting rice and corn while others cultivate coffee on uneven mountainsides, tending to migrate when the soil is depleted. Other favored cash crops include strawberries and kidney beans. Most supplement their income by marketing their traditional and exquisitely embroidered textiles embellished with silver.

Walking up through the village, I was heartily greeted by people on the road, or from the many shops lining the street. Few cars, motorbikes, chickens, children, older people and dogs also paved the way. Hmong houses sit right on the ground with a packed-down earth floor and the roof nearly extending to the soil, their main level rests on an above-ground area used for food storage. Other hill tribes, however, favor bamboo houses raised on stilts with grassy thatched rooftops plus an area beneath them to shelter their domesticated pigs, chickens and buffalos. Most hill tribes live in extended family units, sharing cramped quarters with as many as twelve or more family members. Most sleep on mats on bamboo litters and many children don’t attend school. I mostly saw women stitching outdoors, children playing on the road; several elders sitting in the sun, radio or TV voices coming from inside. At first, newly married couples settle in the husband’s parental home adding their labor force to the common household while also advancing the wife’s assimilation into the new clan. Women become part of their husbands’ families after marriage. The whole family works together steering and supporting the newlyweds in their marital responsibilities. After a trial period, a bride price is paid by the husband, and the marriage is considered final; the more industrious the woman is, the higher the bride price. Hmong women are expected to work hard within the family; raising the children, planting and harvesting plus weaving textiles in their spare time. Men are good at making crossbows, musical instruments, and other items of wood, bamboo and rattan. Many are also accomplished blacksmiths and gunsmiths. Colorful textiles and Hmong clothing such as the intricately embroidered pleated skirts with bands of red, blue and white worn under black satin jackets are in high demand by the general public as are the black baggy pants gathered at the waist with a long wide blue cummerbund and simple blue-cuffed jackets. Hmong women can be seen at markets throughout Thailand selling their clothing and embroideries proving to have good entrepreneurial skills. A religious people, the Hmong are firm animists, believing that tangible and intangible domains coexist; their shamans use dramatic methods to contact spirits that allegedly influence the course of human life. The Hmong speak in a monosyllabic, tonal language that includes many dialects; their written words, barely surviving after intense Chinese persecution. In the past, Hmong women have tried to maintain their written symbols by stitching them into their textiles. I am told that the Hmong are called ‘Meo’ by the Thai, a derogatory term meaning barbarian, due to their Mongolian or western Chinese origins. In Thailand most hill tribes concentrate along the northern borders; however, internal migration has positioned them as far south as Bangkok. Now living in close proximity with their Thai neighbors, tribes risk complete assimilation into the vortex of the general culture; the coming generations will likely see some of their traditions disappear, and as with most other ancient peoples, their rich legacy will become part of a historic, tumultuous past. I trust most of their oral history will be recorded accordingly. EW

Traditional Thai Massage

Increasingly, Bangkok urbanites are finding that their level of fitness and overall health have seen better days. Lack of exercise and poor eating habits are taking their toll as city dwellers hurry to and from work in polluted and traffic congested surroundings. Upper respiratory problems, chronic diseases and obesity are all on the rise. Ancient healing and alternative medicine methods as well as a long and trusted history in traditional Thai massage therapy, are well established practices in this part of the world. Progressively, people have become more aware of massage therapy’s restoration on the harmonious balance between body, mind and spirit. The age old practice of dispensing treatment intended to restore health, soothe tired muscles and bring inner peace has not lost its importance in today’s Thai society as young former skeptics line the massage shops in malls and sidewalks all over towns, cities and beaches in this populous country.

Bits of History

Traditional Thai massage is deeply rooted in history. Developed from early Chinese acupuncture, and employed by Buddhist monks for centuries, massage therapy was used along with herbal remedies before modern medicine came into the scene. The technique for Thai massage is based on the currents of energy believed to flow throughout the body’s many passageways and their convergence at many points. Pressure can be applied or needles inserted at these points to unblock the energy streams and remove blockages thus allowing free energy flow to balance the body's inner systems. Getting a regular massage is practiced today by older Thais as this has repeatedly proved to support good health and longevity. Increasingly though, the younger generations, who pushed massage aside as a thing of the past, are coming back to the rebirth of the movement that’s drawing in more tourism to this country than the famed beaches and amazing Buddhist temples.

Traditional Massage Instruction

One of the oldest, most beautiful and largest religious temples in Bangkok, Wat Pho, is also home to one of the better international centers for learning (and receiving) traditional Thai massage. The temple houses the national Thai Headquarters for the Instruction and Preservation of Traditional Medicine, including massage therapy. The manipulation techniques were so respected that in the 1700’s by order of King Rama III, the procedures were engraved into slate tablets and placed around the great temple to ascertain their safety. The sixty tablets linger to this day; some undecipherable by time while other images serve as samples for the applied techniques followed by today’s school of massage therapy. Dating no less than 2500 years, Thailand’s traditional medicine is the by-product of long and diverse historical and cultural progress. Attaining an even level of societal stability, the Thais found ways to decipher the mysteries of the human body including the skilled capacity to treat disease and disharmony of physical, emotional, and spiritual origins.

Ancient Healing Art Form

The art of traditional Thai massage is said to have ambled from India to Thailand along with Buddhism in 200 BC. Traditional Thai massage has evolved through centuries of knowledge stressing that the body’s life energy extends along lines in a crisscross pattern to distribute blood and life energy to bones, muscles and organs thus unblocking inner body hubs of disease. Massage rejuvenates bodily systems -- by increasing energy and lymphatic flow -- as well as the skin’s surface.

Treatments and Techniques

Besides traditional massage (which may include full body; shoulders, back and neck; lower body, legs and feet; and head massage therapies, all at once or separately) Thai massage therapy traditionally begins the manipulation at the feet as these are considered the beginning and ending of the energy lines of the body. The massage healer will use his/her feet, palms, thumbs, elbows, forearms and knees to apply deep pressure along the energy pathways. Other techniques resemble a form of yoga administered with twists and stretches of the patient’s limbs. Using their palms and thumbs on the soles of patients’ feet with gentle and consistent pressure, masseuses continue up each leg and upper body using a variety of techniques. At times, the healers or manipulators as they are sometimes called in Thai pull and push with their own feet and knead with their fists along energy lines. Thai massage is slow paced, each motion meant to bring harmony and peace into the body by creating a feeling of balance and well-being. Arms and legs are stretched beyond their normal range of motion but never in a painful way. The end result is one of calm and balance.

Spas

Thailand’s spas offer an array of cures by means of Thai herbs and essential oils. Bodies can be exfoliated and aromatized leaving a youthful and firmer appearance; there are body wraps that will energize and reduce inner water content as well as all type of hair removal techniques. Essential oils common in Thailand include nutmeg and mint; magrut, a small lime which is great for hair-care; lemon grass, a popular cooking herb that clears nasal passages; and prai, a type of ginger, an antiseptic which doubles-up as a skin-beautifier and purifier.

The Person as a Whole

From head to toe, Thais and tourists alike, treat themselves to traditional rub-downs. A foot massage is a pampering tool from which to treat the whole body as it re-directs the flow of energy through the right channels. By the manipulation of the different parts of the foot, (reflexology) a reflex action can be produced in another part of the body, thus treating diverse physical concerns. In Thailand, spas aim to treat the person as a whole; many offer two day, three day and week-long treatment courses including yoga, nutrition and meditation. Unlike US spas, their Thai counterparts are very affordable. There’s a spa for every pocket book as Thais see them as a necessity for coping with their hectic pace of life, pollution and horrendous traffic and not as a pampering luxury. EW