Page 34 - Forbes - Asia (June 2018)

FORBES ASIA
TANGLED TALE

A GENERATION EMERGES

The House

of Thompson

Bill Booth took over Thai Silk after the
mysterious disappearance of its founder.
Now his son, Eric, is ramping up plans to take
the company global.

BY RON GLUCKMAN
A where his signiicant art collection, in-
half-century ater Jim
hompson vanished in
luential circle of friends and fabulous
parties earned him a Great Gatsby-
the Malaysian jungle,
the American spy
style reputation. Yet he was also an
turned hai silk baron
the silk trade in Southeast Asia. And
lives on—and not only in the ilms astute entrepreneur who helped revive
and books that continue to appear, now he’s going global.
rehashing or ofering new theories on hat’s the vision of father and son
his perplexing disappearance. Eaten Bill and Eric Booth, whose hai Silk
by tigers? Killed by the CIA or Com- Co. is hompson’s legacy. With three
munist rebels? Or did the 61-year-old dozen stores across hailand, 2,600
simply take a misstep and tumble into employees and $90 million in an-
a ravine? nual sales, it’s a hai institution. Jim’s LUKE DUGGLEBY/REDUX PICTURES FOR FORBES
It’s one of Southeast Asia’s great estate in Bangkok, where several old
mysteries, about one of its most color- wooden houses overlook ponds and “He’s the future, I’m the past”:
ful characters. hompson lived large, display his art, has become the famed Bill Booth and son, Eric, at the
an American bon vivant in old Siam, Jim hompson House, a cultural Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.

32 | FORBES ASIA JUNE 2018