Travel: Jim Thompson House in Bangkok

Jim Thompson House in Bangkok

This is our first stop on day two of our three days in Bangkok.

The best part about visiting the site is that you get a tour of the grounds. The tour is informative and about 30 minutes long. We had a wonderful guide – she answered so many of our questions and taught me things I’ll never forget, like how raised door frames prevent bad spirits from entering the room.

History

So, who is Jim Thompson? He’s an American who was a member of the U.S. Army and was sent to Asia to serve. After World War II ended he was sent to Bangkok as a military officer and just loved Thailand, so he stayed!

He fell in love with the craft of hand weaving silk and devoted himself to reviving the industry. All of these 6 houses on the grounds are made of teak and they are all at least two centuries old.

In late March of 1967 Jim Thompson disappeared while visiting Malaysia. Not a single clue has turned up to explain what happened to him. His Thai house, however, remains famous and a reminder of his deep love for Thailand.

Details

This is a seat warmer. It’s ceramic and you fill it with hot coals and it keeps you warm while you sit. So clever.

A lot of the statues were beheaded in raids of war. So sad. Many of the heads were destroyed or sold on the black market. The Jim Thompson House was full of Buddhist symbols. Also, the house looks like it’s smiling.

That’s us! Shorts and tank tops to keep cool.

Silk

Hand weaving silk. So beautiful.

Overall, the trip to Jim Thompson’s house was wonderful. I fully recommend visiting if you’re in Bangkok and want to learn a bit about a dear man’s past. The buildings and art work (which I couldn’t take pictures of) were worth the trip alone.