This popular site, which today is one of the most important museums in Bangkok and Thailand in general, was for 20 years the private home of businessman Jim Thompson. In addition to being a significant figure in Thai history, he was also one of the most important art collectors in all of Asia. Now much of his impressive collection is on display at the Jim Thompson Museum.
Although Thompson was an American architect, he is a central figure in Thai history of the 20th century. This businessman came to Thailand following a business opportunity and eventually became an important factor in the revival of the country's silk industry in the fifties and sixties of the last century - a revival that improved their economic situation and affected the lives of many citizens.
The Jim Thompson House displays some rare and important items, including ancient Buddha statues from the 8th, 13th and 14th centuries, Thai paintings and sculptures, porcelain from China, art from Laos, wood carvings from Cambodia and Myanmar. On the kitchen floor there is an impressive and special display of porcelain dinnerware and there is also a magnificent dining table that once belonged to King Rama V.
The museum complex, which sits near the canal, consists of six buildings made of teak wood and built in a traditional Thai style. Thompson found each of these houses in different places throughout Thailand - and each structure is a masterpiece of local architecture. They were dismantled, transported and reassembled - exactly as they were originally - at the house complex in Bangkok. The houses are surrounded by well-kept green gardens that give the feeling of an orderly jungle. Various antiques and artefacts are scattered throughout the gardens.
Thompson's story ended with a mysterious disappearance in the jungles of Malaysia, which is still considered one of the unsolved mysteries of the Far East. However, the Jim Thompson brand of silk products is still sold and recognized worldwide today and his art collection is one of the most important in all of Thailand.
The place is open every day from 11 am to 7 pm. Let her know that you can't take pictures inside the houses and you can't tour the compound alone, but only as part of an organized tour. The last guided tour starts at 6 pm. The price of an adult ticket is 200 baht. Young people under 22 pay 100 baht while children under 10 enter for free.
