JIM THOMPSON CASE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06913780
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2022
• Case Number: F-2019-01172
• Publication Date: July 31, 1968

Approved for Release: 2022/11/28 C06913780
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� CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
TO: Department of State - EA/TB
Mr. Moncrieff J. Spear
FROM: FE/TBL - Mr. Stuart Met BOIL
SUBJECT: Jim Thompson Case
In reference to your memorandum of July 31, 1968
relating to a letter allegedly describing the whereabouts of
Jim Thompson, 2 thorough check has revealed no new or
additional information which would add to what is already
known and has been communicated to your office. We share
your skepticism of this, and similar reports concerning
Thompson, and do not intend to pursue the matter further
at this time. You may pass this information on to Mrs.
James Douglas and to Mr. Henry B. Thompson, along with
the assurance that Jim Thompson had no connection, official.
or otherwise, with this Agency.
ly
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July 31, 1988
MEMORANDUM
TO: CIA:TBL/FE - Mr. Stuart Methven, Room 5-E48
FROM: EA/TB - Mr. Moncrleff Z. Spear, Country Director,
Thailand/Burma
SUBJECT: Tim Thompson Case
On July 22 Mrs. James Douglas, Jim Thompson's sister,
called to say that her brother, Mr. Henry B. Thompson, had
received through the mail a Xerox copy of a report on "CIA
stationery" from "a very reputable Englishman" who does business
in Canton. The gist of the letter was that Tim Thompson was in
Canton in the company of former That Prime Minister Pridi.
Subsequent checking with Mr. Henry Thompson revealed that the
letter was dated April 10, 1868 and that it has now been destroyed
"because it should not have been given to me".
Both Mrs. Douglas and Mr. Henry Thompson are skeptical
about the report but nonetheless feel that they owe it to them-
selves and Jim Thompson to check it out. They have, therefore,
asked me U we could have Bob Jantsen look into it. I told them
that we too were skeptical about this report but could appreciate
how they felt about it and would undertake to have it tracked down
and let them know of any results.
Could you have this checked out in the field please and
advise me of the results so that I can pass them on to Mrs.
Douglas and Mr. Henry Thompson.
EA/TB:MTSpeanim
CONFIDENTIAL
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OPTIOPOU. FORM Ig0. 10
MAT WU SIMON
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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
TO : EA/TB � Mr. Spear
FROM : EA/TB - Carl J. Nelson
-CON-F1-9KALTIAL__
'DATE: July. 22, 1968
Smarr: New Rumor Reported by Henry Thompson that Jim Thompson
Had Been Seen in Hong Kong -
In response to the attached note, I telephoned first
Mrs. Douglas and secondly Henry Thompson, telling them
that We had not received any new word of this story but
that rumors of this kind first appeared as early as
April 1967, or possibly earlier, and that the sources
In those earlier cases had been pretty well discredited.
I also mentioned to Mrs. Douglas that our files included
a published letter signed by Prince Sihanouk and addressed
to the President of the FLN, Nguyen Huu Tho, stating that
he had received a letter from Mrs. Earl Galleher asking
for assistance in locating Jim Thompson and commenting
that it seemed likely that Mrs. Galleher had been imposed
upon by some purveyor of a false rumor. I mentioned this
merely to show that Prince Sihanouk has taken note of the
case. Mrs. Douglas said she knew, all about this.
Then, at Mrs. Douglas' request, I telephoned Henry Thompson
in Reisterstown, Maryland. He said that someone had sent
him a Xerox copy of a CIA report which stated that a
British businessman, who had come out of Communist China
last December, had reported that Jim Thompson had been
seen in Canton and was still alive there and in touch with
Pridi Panamyong.. The report went on to say that Jim
Thompson had persuaded Pridi to abandon plots to assassinate
members of the Royal Family but that other members of Pridi's
staff did not trust Thompson and were preventing him from
leaving Canton: He said the Xerox report which he has now
destroyed because "it should not have been given to me" was
dated April 10.
Thompson asked that the U.S. Government check this story
out and, if it seems at all plausible, ask the British or
Australians on a very confidential basis to try to cheek it
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CONFIDENTIAL
2
out in Canton. Thompson thought that one or the other might
have a Consulate in Canton.
I commented that the fact that we do not have this story
in our file implied to me that, if the document he had
seen was genuine, it had possibly not been distributed �
because it was considered unfounded or the source considered
very unreliable. However, I said I would report his conver-
sation and that if more information on this particular
rumor came to us, I would let him know.
Henry Thompson was very doubtful that anything would come
of this story but felt that some check ought to be made.
He is currently leaving for York Harbor, Maine where his
telephone number will be [phone],
Attachment:
As Stated
cc:
EA - Mr. Bundy
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CONFIDENTIAL
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COTMEE*T-141__
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
re Jim ThiSmoson case -- new rumor
Mrs. James Douglas called this morning to say
that about a month her brother (Henry B.
Thompson, Beaverbrook Farm, Reisterstown, Md.
301-252-0238) had received through the mail,N
a xerox copy of a talk report on CIA (14A1tizAA-ti
stationery from a very reputable Englishman
who does business in Canton. The gist of it
was that Jim Thompson was in the company of
Pridi-Panamyong, Prime Minister of Thailand
during the war, who recruited Thais to go
into Korean War, who was a friend of
Jim Thompson's. Pridi was taken out of
Bangkok and never been allowed to return to
Thailand. He has been in Canton all these
years, apparently supported by the Thai
Govt.
This report says that Thompson is in Canton
with Pridi who will not let him leave until
he has persuaded Pridi's friends� not to
murder the Royal family.
Mrs. Thompson says he doesn't put any credence
in this rumor, but apparently her brother does.
Mrs. Thompson said that she had asked
Mrs. Jantzen (whose husband is CIA station chief
in Bangkok) about, it and Mrs Jantsen said her
husband surely would have known about it if ed
there were anything to it. Mrs. Thompson wonder
If someone here could be in touch with her
!mother on the details in the letter (which he (
destroyed because whoever sent it to him said it
would beedangerous to keep it. Mrs. Douglas
did not have details about any postmark, etc.
It is her brother's son who has been named
heir and will be going out soon. I said
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' DEPARTMENT OF STATE
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
I would pass this along to the officer
handling the matter here, and that someone
would be in touch with her soon.
Mrs. Douglas will be home until about noon
today and then out until about 5 p.m.
I Riad said I did not think anyone would be
calling her today in any event.
Mabel 7/22168
Phone: [phone]
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