Jim Thompson House

Jim Thompson was an American who settled in Thailand after World War II and became famous for helping take Thai silk to the international fashion world. His canal-side home, now a museum, is made up of six traditional Thai teak houses and is filled with his collection of Southeast Asian art.

We joined one of the guided tours, which takes you through the house and tells the story of Thompson’s life, including his mysterious disappearance in Malaysia in 1967, which has never been solved.

I enjoyed the visit, but I actually would have loved to learn more about the Thai silk business itself – how the silk was made, the local community involved and how Thompson turned it into an international brand. His home was deliberately built across the canal from the community of silk weavers he worked with, but the tour focuses much more on the house and his art collection.

There’s also a Jim Thompson store onsite (beautiful, but expensive!) and a lovely restaurant where we stayed for lunch afterwards. I’d recommend going in the morning before the Bangkok heat really kicks in and allowing some extra time for lunch if you want the full experience.