Jim Thompson House Visit

The main entrance to Thompson's house

Beneath the overgrown palms along one of Bangkok's working klongs (canal), both nesting birds and weary tourists seek respite from the teaming city.  They find it in the garden at Jim Thompson's House, truly an oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

Built in 1959 from a number of classic teak Thai-style houses, this compound became the focal point of Jim Thompson's life outside his office at the Thai Silk Company.  With its typical stilted style, most of the living space is upstairs, and Thompson filled each nook and cranny with exquisite religious art from the region.  

He entertained guests almost nightly at the house.  Whether they were casual invites, tourists from his shop, or planned visits from dignitaries, Thompson welcomed them all and walked them through the halls of his home, expounding on the treasures within.  If weather permitted, they then dined out on the terrace.  As many of his guests noted, the soft lighting, the classic Bencherong dinnerware, and Thompson's hospitality all added up to evenings that would be savored for years to come.

His house became so well-known that he decided to open it to the public two days a week with the proceeds of the nominal fee going to a local school for the blind.


Today, the house is a full-fledged museum with nearly 200,000 visitors passing through its doors each year.  There are guided tours in a number of languages given every day.  It's no wonder that this has become a "must see" for all of those visiting Bangkok. Click here for more information on the Jim Thompson House.


Here are my impressions of Jim Thompson's house: