Jim Thompson House

The Jim Thompson House Museum occupies a cluster of six traditional Thai-style teak houses on Soi Kasem San 2, tucked beside the Saen Saep canal in the Pathum Wan district of Bangkok, a short walk from the National Stadium BTS station. Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur and former OSS officer who settled in Bangkok after World War II and became internationally credited with reviving the Thai silk industry for the global market. He disappeared under unexplained circumstances in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia in 1967, leaving behind this remarkable home and collection. The six houses, dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, were dismantled from various locations around Bangkok and Ayutthaya and reassembled here. One house was rebuilt in reverse to give the drawing room a river-facing view. The interiors are preserved largely as Thompson left them: Belgian antique maps, Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, Burmese Buddha heads, Cambodian sculpture, and an exceptional collection of Thai paintings and lacquerware are arranged throughout the low-ceilinged rooms. Entry is by guided tour only — tours depart every 15 to 20 minutes in Thai and English, last approximately 40 minutes, and are included in the admission price. The surrounding garden is lush and provides a cool, shaded contrast to the busy streets outside. The museum also houses a silk shop selling Thompson-branded silk products, a restaurant, and a café. Admission for adults is around 200 baht; children under 25 cm are free.