Jim Thompson’s House

Born in Delaware in 1906, Jim Thompson was a practicing architect prior to World War II. He came to Asia as part of the US force that was to liberate Thailand. The war ended before the operation began and a few days aftr the end of the war, he was posted in Bangkok as a military intelligence officer attached to the OSS, and on retirement from this assignment he made Thailand his permanent home.

He involved himself with the dying hand weaving silk industry in the country and devoted himself to its revival. He is, in no small measures, responsible for the growth of the industry in the post-war years and to the worldwide acceptance of Thai silks.

He built his house in Bangkok, a complex of six traditional teak buildings, most of them over two centuries old, that represent the best of Thai domestic architecture. These houses, prefabricated in sections, were dismantled and brought by him to their present site from various locations in Thailand and reassembled.

He filled his house with his collection of antique Asian artifacts, such as blue-white chinaware, Cambodian stone figures, Bencharong (a multi-colored porcelain made in Thailand in a technique originating from China), wooden Burmese statues and much more.

Jim Thompson disappeared without a trace in Malaysia in 1967, never to be see or heard of again. His estate is being administered by the James H.W. Thompson Foundation, under court orders.

Jim Thompson house is located at 6 Soi Kaseman 2, Rama I Road. And is open daily from 9.00am to 4.00pm. The admission fee is 100 Baht for adults and 40 Baht for children.

There are also several Jim Thompson stores that sell high quality Thai silk and fine cotton house linen and clothes. You can find them at malls such as Siam Paragon, Gaysorn and Emporium, as also a big one at Jim Thompson’s House.