Jim Thompson’s House Tour

The House that was the Talk of the Town
The Jim Thompson House is the home of James H.W. Thompson, a self-made American entrepreneur who was the founder of the world renowned Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company. Thompson’s achievements during his 25 year stay in the Kingdom of Thailand have won him much fame as the ’Legendary American of Thailand’.

For his contribution to the development of the Thai Silk industry, Jim Thompson was awarded the Order of the White Elephant, a decoration bestowed upon foreigners for having rendered exceptional service to Thailand. Thompson’s success story in Thailand has become one of the most popular postwar legends of Asia.

In 1967, Jim Thompson went on holiday with friends to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There he set out for a walk in the surrounding jungle but never returned. Thus began the Jim Thompson legend. Since his disappearance in 1967, little has changed in the home that was the ’talk of the town’ and the ’city’s most celebrated social center’. Even today, the charming Thai style house continues to be a key stop for visitors to Bangkok.

Both the supporting columns and consequently, the walls of the house lean slightly inward adding to the illusion of height and grace. The curved roof ends, characteristic of traditional Thai houses, are probably adaptations of naga (serpent) motifs.
The house consists of a complex of six traditional Thai-style houses, teak structures that were purchased from several owners and brought to the present location from various parts of Thailand. Construction of the Thai house was completed in 1959.