The Jim Thompson House is one of the must-see stops in Bangkok. The story behind the house as well as the house itself are fascinating.
Here’s the story:
James Harrison Wilson Thompson was born in 1906 in Greenville, Delaware in the United States… Jim spent the years 1931-1940 working as an architect in New York City, designing homes for the elite. Thompson found an interest in costume design and textiles whilst working on the board of the famous Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
Jim enlisted in the Delaware National Guard. When war broke out, Thompson worked for the Office of Strategic Services (the precursor of the CIA) and was stationed all over the world. Around 1945, Thompson was transferred to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where preparations were underway to invade Thailand. Japan’s surrender eliminated the need for such an invasion and in August of the same year, Jim arrived by military plane in Thailand.
In 1947, Thompson’s first breakthrough came upon the discovery of an enclave of Thai weavers who lived in an idyllic small community called Ban Krua, in the heart of Bangkok. Thompson had his fresh portfolio of hand-woven silks sent to New York. The silks captivated the leading names in fashion, including Edna Woolman Chase, the influential editor of Vogue Magazine.
Following on from the excellent reception in New York, Thompson’s Thai Silk business prospered and in 1950 he opened his first shop on the iconic Surawong Road in Bangkok. Jim also acquired a diverse collection of Thai art. By the late 1950’s, his collection was so extensive that he built a place to house his splendid antique collection. In 1959, Thompson’s famous House on the Klong, made up of six old teakwood houses in Bangkok (Banh Krua) and Ayutthaya province (Pak Hai), was completed.
(source)
Here are his houses and some of the Thai art that he lived with:
Jim Thompson’s end remains a mystery to this day. In 1967, he paid a visit to friends in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands. At one point, he went for a walk by himself and never came back. Despite intensive searches, he was never found.
He single-handedly revived the declining Thai silk industry before his death. His company and legacy live on to this day.
Of course, we visited the gift shop. It is full of beautiful silk clothing, pillows, ties, scarfs and more. All at eye-wateringly high prices. We appreciated with our wet eyes, and left empty handed, wallet intact.
Canals
There may be as many as 1600 canals in modern Bangkok, although there’s so much development that it’s not clear how many are left.
Canals, or khlongs, were part of this region even before Bangkok was founded. During the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which preceded the current dynasty, from 1351 to 1767, canals were dug to shorten trade routes from the Gulf of Thailand to the Ayutthaya capital, 80 km north of modern Bangkok.
At the start of the current dynasty, the Chakri dynasty, the first king, King Rama I ordered expansion of the network of canals for his new capital city, mostly for defensive purposes. Over the following decades, more canals were added for transportation, irrigation, and commerce. By the 19th century, Europeans experienced Bangkok’s canal-centered life and, as always, thought of Venice — so Bangkok is the “Venice of the East.”
During the latter half of the 19th century, more and more canals were covered over and converted into roads. Among the reasons for this change was desire by the king for Bangkok to be a “modern” city like the capitals of Europe. Additionally, European business people insisted that roads were more efficient for commerce than canals.
Many of the canals are still used today for transportation, commerce and tourism. However, Bangkok is now a road-centric city. As we floated along the canal, we saw many disused and disintegrating houses and buildings. What once were “front doors” onto the canals are now “back doors.” Today’s front doors face the other way, onto paved streets.
From time to time, the Chao Phraya River and its tributaries and canals flood, causing quite a lot of damage. In 2011, there was a particularly bad flood. Very many of the wooden houses and buildings along canals such as the one we visited were damaged or swept away. Many are still in disrepair or ruin. The city encourages maintenance of these buildings by taxing the owners more if the properties aren’t being used. But, apparently, not with other financial support.
At the finish of our morning float along the canal, we were delivered to a surprising garden of a café-restaurant, Poomjai Garden Natura Café.
Malls
The city is home to a dizzying array of urban shopping malls. One mall we visited included a huge array of local shops and brands. That was really interesting because most everything we saw there was new to us.
Another mall across the avenue from the first was all international brands — the same that we find in Europe and the US. Not much point shopping there.
But we did witness a mysterious promotional stunt that we can never unsee:
Thai dance
One popular stop in Bangkok is to attend a performance of Khon dance. (For you Hawaii readers, this isn’t the same at KHON-TV.) There are three half-hour performances per day in a large theater. We attended at 1 pm on a Monday, and the theater was full.
Here’s some background about the dance style:
Khon, the Khon Masked Dance Drama in Thailand, is a performing art that combines musical, vocal, literary, dance, ritual and handicraft elements. Khon performances – which involve graceful dance movements, instrumental and vocal renditions and glittering costumes – depict the glory of Rama, the hero and incarnation of the god Vishnu, who brings order and justice to the world. The many episodes depict Rama’s life, including his journey in the forest, his army of monkeys, and his fights with the army of Thosakan, king of the giants. On one level, Khon represents high art cultivated by the Siamese/Thai courts over centuries, while at another level, as a dramatic performance, it can be interpreted and enjoyed by spectators from different social backgrounds. Khon has a strong didactic function, reinforcing respect for those of a higher age and status, mutual dependence between leaders and followers, the honour of rulers and the triumph of good over evil. (source)
Mostly, we just enjoyed the spectacle, the rhythmic music, the amazing costumes and the stylized movements. (And the AC in the theater.)
This is a current, rather hip curry restaurant on a non-descript alley.
It’s been noticed by Michelin for its fresh and creative curries, and so attracts lots of people like us. The space is simple urban / loft / industrial with a very busy open kitchen.
We ordered a starter, a curry, and a meat. We’d been traveling in Thailand for about four weeks by this point, and we were blown away by how delicious and layered each dish was. We wish we’d had time to return to try more of the menu.
January-February 2025