Jim Thompson's House

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  • Address
    Soi Kasem San 2, Th Phra Ram I, Siam Square
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  • Phone
    0 2215 0122
  • Website
  • Transport
    water taxi: khlong taxi Tha Ratchathew
train: National Stadium
bus: 508, 73

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Lonely Planet review

This is a great spot to visit for authentic Thai residential architecture and Southeast Asian art. Located at the end of an undistinguished soi next to Khlong Saen Saeb, the premises once belonged to the American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, who deserves most of the credit for the worldwide popularity of Thai silk.

Thompson was a New York architect who briefly served in the Office of Strategic Services (forerunner of the CIA) in Thailand during WWII. After the war he found New York too tame and moved to Bangkok. Thai silk caught his eye and he sent samples to fashion houses in Milan, London and Paris, building a steady worldwide clientele for a craft in danger of dying out.

Thompson collected parts of various derelict Thai homes in central Thailand and had them reassembled in the current location in 1959. Although for the most part they're assembled in typical Thai style, one striking departure from tradition is the way each wall has its exterior side facing the house's interior, thus exposing the wall's bracing system.

On display in the main house are Thompson's small but splendid Asian art collection and his personal belongings. A plush bar overlooking the canal offers cold drinks and occasional live jazz. The khlong at the end of the soi is one of Bangkok's liveliest.