The Vanishing of Jim Thompson: The Silk King Who Walked Into the Jungle and Never Came Back

 

The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson in Southeast Asia

An American millionaire, a misty Malaysian hill station, a casual afternoon walk—and then nothing. More than half a century later, Jim Thompson’s disappearance still feels less like a missing-person case and more like a locked-room mystery staged by the jungle itself.

The Cameron Highlands were wrapped in mist that Easter Sunday, as if the mountains themselves had decided to keep a secret. It was March 26, 1967, and the jungle above Tanah Rata breathed in its usual slow, ancient rhythm. Ferns clung to the slopes. Orchids flashed like small, impossible flames among the trees. Somewhere beyond the garden paths and tea estates, birds called and insects buzzed in the damp afternoon air. To most visitors, the place felt peaceful. To Jim Thompson, it must have felt familiar in a strange way: a green world full of texture, silence, and hidden movement.

Thailand’s rooftop bars turn sunset into the main event

There are sunset drinks, and then there are Thai sky bar sunsets with cheese, cava foam, tapas, infinity pools and wood-smoked Peking duck.

Across Thailand, three Meliá rooftop venues are giving golden hour a serious upgrade, each with its own flavour. In Chiang Mai, it is all about artisan Thai cheese and local wine. In Bangkok, Spanish-style social hours spill across a dramatic rooftop pool deck. In Pattaya, sunset comes with Gulf views and a Hong Kong-style Peking duck feast.

The Slate Phuket: industrial chic luxury on Nai Yang Beach

At Phuket’s quieter northern end, The Slate blends Bill Bensley’s audacious tin-mine design with family-friendly resort ease, memorable dining and a rare sense of seclusion close to Nai Yang Beach.

Words: Roderick Eime || Images: supplied

It is tempting, when writing about resorts, to reach for the same polished vocabulary that appears in every brochure and online review. Sanctuary. Oasis. Hideaway. Retreat. Most of the time, those words are merely decorative. At The Slate Phuket, however, they come closer than usual to the truth.

The Retreat Koh Chang: Quiet Luxury on Thailand’s Green Island

Thailand’s islands are often associated with excess. Vast beachfront resorts, crowded pool decks and all-night beach parties have become part of the country’s tourism mythology. Yet tucked away on Koh Chang, near the Cambodian border, The Retreat Koh Chang offers something markedly more restrained and sophisticated.

Song Wat, Bangkok: Where the City’s Past Still Trades

I arrived in Bangkok expecting another extension of Chinatown’s sensory overload, but Song Wat Road reveals itself more gradually. Running parallel to the Chao Phraya River, this narrow strip feels like a working archive—less polished than other revived districts, but arguably more authentic.

History, food and fun at Asiatique The Riverfront, Bangkok

 Set along a broad curve of the Chao Phraya River, Asiatique The Riverfront is one of Bangkok’s most atmospheric leisure precincts—part night market, part dining district and part riverside promenade. It combines modern retail and entertainment with a deliberately preserved sense of the city’s maritime past. Since opening in 2012, the complex has become a popular evening destination for both visitors and locals seeking food, shopping and river views in a single location.

Celebrating Lunar New Year at Luxury Destinations Across Thailand

2026 is the Year of the Horse, and a fun-filled festival across many countries in Asia. Here is a compilation of hotel and resort options offering a little something special on Feb. 17 as they mark Chinese New Year in Thailand.