thailand

Postcards from Thailand

Kin-na-ri (mythological half-man half-bird) in front of Thebdidon royal pantheon.

Thai Royal State Barge, Bankgok

Wat Arun Temple of Dawn, Bangkok, Thailand

The image of the Emerald Buddha under Summer season attire inside Wat Phra Keo at the Royal Place grounds, Bangkok.

1982
The Emerald Buddha Temple at night during the time of Bangkok Bicentennial

The Prasart-pradiep-bidorn in the Emerald Buddha Temple, Bangkok, Thailand

A giant standing on the ground of the Emerald Buddha Temple, Bangkok, Thailand.

The Throne with four posts and supporting a roof with spire on the grounds of the Emerald Buddha Temple, Bangkok, Thailand 

February 1985

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Do these dancers look kind of familiar to you? We saw a dancing show yesterday – many of same steps you learned. Bill took lots of pictures! It is to be 96 degrees here today. We joined the worshipers a the Temple of the Emerald Buddha yesterday – very impressive. 

Tomorrow (Bill’s birthday) we leave for Singapore for 2 days. Have a good weekend!
Love and Kisses, Mom

“Finger Nail Dance” one of the most beautiful Thai Classical Dances

October 198?

The trip over was long as usual. Got in about 11:00 pm. Just bit late. I am just lying by the pool and resting.

This hotel is very nice about like the Mandarin in Jakarta in many ways but with a larger pool!

All OK so far. Will write regularly.
Love, Bill

The Regent Bangkok, Thailand

August 1989

Good to visit old friends – not enough time. Came for the 30th anniversary of AIT – many ceremonies, graduation, even lunch and inner with the Princess. On to Hong Kong for a few days then home. Am afraid La Jolla will be too dull for words after all this excitement.

Love Bob and Gunta

February 1982

We visited here yesterday and it is all being refinished but still magnificent. We were met by Bob and Gunta on arrival and spent the day with them. They send you greetings.

Today we will shop, rest, sun and tonight travel to Karachi. It is HOT here.

Love, Bill and Va

The Emerald Buddha Temple, Bangkok

April 1988

This is such a fun place. We are mesmerized by the river traffic in front of our hotel. My new suit is heavy black silk for winter, but not for your wedding! Wish you were here.

Love, Va

The Royal Barge Procession for the Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, Bangkok. Thailand’s fabulous royal barges will form a stately procession to transport His Majesty the King to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) where His Majesty will present saffron robes to the monastic community.

January 1967

Hi

Arrived Bangkok on schedule in AM. Just checking in hotel. All still looks interesting.

Love, Bill

February, 1989

Dear

Greetings from lovely warm Bangkok. I hope all continues to go well in Moscow.

We go to Chiang Mai tomorrow, where I have never been before, and then back here Sunday Evening. I hope you are all warm and cozy.

Love

The Oriental Hotel, circa 1876

July 1987

Dear

The original part of the hotel still looks like this but they have a modern, lovely hotel around it. It is still one of my favorite places in the world. The flight over was long! 24 hours! With stops in S.F and Tokyo. Saw three movies – The Tin Men, Hoosiers and Burglars on the plane. Burglars was good.

Take care

July 1988

This should reach you by the time of your birthday! Happy Birthday! Our hotel is lovely! Looks quite different now than in this photo but this is more or less as it was when we first stayed here in the 50’s. Hope all is well and your trip to Boston is fine. I am having a new silk suit made.

Love

February 1990

Hi

We all met as planned at airport about midnite last nite (24 hour trip – tired). This hotel (the new version) is just gorgeous and comfortable – we are impressed. We had big slabs of papaya for breakfast in the sun along the river. Wish you were here.

Love

The Oriental, Bangkok, Circa 1876

From its earliest origin as a rest house for western adventurers, The Oriental has stood for quality of life that made it an oasis midst the hub-bub that prevails all about. As it was over 100 year ago, so it is today.

Giant Guardians at the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawa), Bangkok, Thailand

February, 1970

Dear

Greetings to you on my birthday. We are at airport waiting for plane to Singapore. I have found Bangkok and the people to be great as I expected. See you next month.

Love

Jim Thompson and the Burmese Kalaga

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Jim Thompson was an American expat living in Thailand.  During World War II he worked for Office of Strategic Services (OSS).  He was a spy.  He arrived in Bangkok shortly after the end of the war to organize and open the OSS office there.  In Bangkok he worked with Kenneth Landon who was first a missionary in Thailand and then was hired to work for the OSS.  Kenneth’s wife, Margaret, lived with him in Thailand and wrote the book “Anna and the King of Siam” which was also made into the musical, “The King and I”.

By 1948, Jim Thompson had left the OSS and become interested in Thai silk.  He formed the Thai Silk Company and his goal was to revitalize the industry.  In 1951 designer Irene Sheraff was designing costumes for the Rogers and Hammerstein musical “The King and I” and decided to use silk from Thompson’s Thai Silk Company.  That was what he needed.  He was a success!  Jim Thompson’s company and the Thai silk industry is thriving to this day.

At one point he thought it would be a good idea to go into Burma and try to revitalize their silk industry as well.  He did not have much luck but there he discovered the royal Kalagas.  These were heavily embroidered tapestries made for the royal palaces of Burma.  The last King of Burma, Thibaw Min, was persuaded to abdicate by the British when they took over the country in 1885.  Some of the tapestries have been around for 150 years.

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Jim Thompson had several of the Kalagas copied and sold them in his shop.  During this time, the late 1950’s, my family was living in Burma and knew all about of Mr Thompson and his silk shop.  They purchased one of these tapestries and it hangs in my parents’ living room to this day.  It is beautiful.

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In 1967 Thompson took a trip to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia on holiday and mysteriously disappeared.  There was an extensive search made but nothing was found.  Nobody knows what happened to him or why.  There is much speculation around him and his disappearance.

He left a house he had designed full of art and antiques from Southeast Asia.  It is now a museum open to the public.