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James H. W. ... James H. W. Thompson is a ... is a successful American ... American businessman and well-known ... and well-known resident of Bangkok. ... of Bangkok. Jim Thompson first ... Thompson first arrived in Thailand ... in Thailand in September, 1945, ... September, 1945, at the end of the ... the end of the Second World War. ... World War. During exploratory visits ... exploratory visits to Thailand's ... Thailand's isolated and ... and impoverished north-east, ... north-east, Thompson became ... became interested in the almost ... in the almost extinct cottage silk ... cottage silk industry, and began ... and began making enquiries. ... enquiries. ... By 1947, when ... By 1947, when Thompson began his ... began his activity, the indigenous ... the indigenous silk trade had ... trade had almost ceased to exist. ... ceased to exist. Most weaving families ... weaving families had abandoned their ... abandoned their traditional ... livelihood in favour of ... in favour of other skills, and the ... skills, and the few that remained ... that remained were scattered and ... scattered and unorganised, regarding ... regarding weaving as an ... as an auxiliary source of income ... source of income at best. Only in one ... best. Only in one locality could ... could Thompson find a ... find a community of weavers still ... of weavers still living in proximity ... in proximity to each other. ... each other. Thompson persevered, and ... persevered, and persuaded one weaver ... one weaver to produce a number ... produce a number of lengths of silk ... lengths of silk in traditional ... traditional colours which might serve ... which might serve as samples of the ... samples of the craft. Armed with ... Armed with these samples, Thompson ... samples, Thompson boarded a plane for ... a plane for the United States, ... United States, bound for his native ... for his native New York. Here he ... York. Here he approached the editor ... the editor of Vanity Fair, ... Vanity Fair, Frank Crowninshield, who ... Crowninshield, who was an old ... an old acquaintance and also the ... and also the only person Thompson ... person Thompson knew who was in any ... who was in any way connected to the ... connected to the fashion industry. In ... industry. In this way he ... way he obtained an introduction to ... an introduction to Edna Woolman Chase, ... Woolman Chase, then editor of ... editor of Vogue, and general ... and general arbiter of all good taste ... of all good taste in the world of ... the world of fashion. According to ... According to the legend, Mrs Chase ... legend, Mrs Chase took one look at ... one look at the lengths of Ban ... lengths of Ban Krua silk spread out ... silk spread out across her desk, and ... her desk, and fell in love. Within ... in love. Within weeks a dress in the ... a dress in the new material by ... material by Valentina, the New York ... the New York designer, graced ... graced the pages of Vogue. ... pages of Vogue. Thai silk was "in". ... silk was "in". Jim Thompson was on ... Thompson was on his way to a personal ... way to a personal fortune, and the ... and the Cham weavers of Ban ... weavers of Ban Krua were about to ... were about to achieve a new ... a new ... The rest, as ... The rest, as they say, is history. ... say, is history. Thompson went on to ... went on to found the Thai Silk ... the Thai Silk Company Ltd., in ... Ltd., in 1948. Today, Thai Silk ... Today, Thai Silk is renowned for its ... renowned for its high quality and ... quality and unique style ... style throughout the world, and the ... the world, and the industry Jim ... Jim Thompson revived employs ... revived employs more than twenty ... than twenty thousand ... people.