Jim Thompson's House ~ another Bangkok treasure

Jim Thompson was blessed with supremely good taste in style & design. His house in Bangkok is a testament to that & to the Thai Silk Company, his legacy. A visit to his home is an amazing & unforgettable experience - it certainly had a profound impact on me & was a major creative moment for @lateralpaul & my 14 year old Oscar. You can read all about Thompson on the official website but in a nutshell, Thompson was an American architect who fell in love with Bangkok after being posted there by the US Army after World War ll. His fascination with the (then) dying art of weaving silk by hand led to him reviving the craft in Thailand & beyond.

What makes this house of his so fascinating is that he built it from 6 centuries-old teak houses that he had found in Thailand, which he dismantled, transported to the site & then constructed a marvel of a home (in Ban Khrua) that adheres mostly to traditional Thai building customs, with a dash of Western influence here & there. The house looks & feels like a home more than a museum, with a beautiful use of colour throughout & the most beautiful, cool garden with strange exotic plants, Koi fish, & water features.

The world lost a creative genius when Thompson disappeared in the Malaysian jungle in 1967. Having his house as a reminder to the Thai people, tourists & admirers the world over is wonderful. Put a visit to the Jim Thompson house on your priority list of top things to see & do in Bangkok & be inspired. Oh, & don't forget to buy a souvenir item from the Jim Thompson store ...I now have a gorgeous Thai silk scarf that I'll be proudly wearing in Cape Town this approaching winter. Images follow.

The first part, as you enter the grounds....

Beautiful features of the house & surrounds...

Water lilies in huge bowls....

Koi fish swim lazily about in the pond outside the restaurant (the food is superb!)...

Exotic hanging plants in a lush garden....

 

Weaving silk ...this exquisite woman did a traditional Thai dance for the guests...twirly hands & delicate movements....

Moi ~ the proud owner of a Thai silk scarf by Jim Thompson....

Getting there - 6 Soi Kasemsan, Rama 1 Road, Bangkok; open daily from 09h until 17h. www.jimthompsonhouse.com | take the BTS to National Stadium, exit 1.

 

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