Bangkok, Thailand
Six traditional teak houses in a tropical garden, filled with Asian art — the home of the American who revived Thai silk and then vanished in 1967.
Main compound
Six traditional Thai teak houses, several brought from Ayutthaya and from the weavers' village across the canal, joined into one home. Thompson turned the walls inside-out so the carved panels face in.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Inside the houses
Buddha images from several periods, Burmese and Thai paintings, Chinese porcelain and Benjarong ceramics, displayed much as Thompson kept them.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Around the houses, by Khlong Saen Saep
A lush garden with ponds, fish jars and old stone carvings, a calm spot right in the middle of the city.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Near the entrance
The Jim Thompson silk shop sells the brand's scarves and fabrics, and a gallery on the grounds holds changing exhibitions on art and textiles.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Across Khlong Saen Saep
The Cham Muslim weavers of Ban Khrua made the silk that Jim Thompson first sold to the world. A few families still weave by hand in the lanes by the canal.
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Bangkok, Thailand
Poached chicken on rice cooked in chicken stock, with a ginger and soybean sauce — a favourite lunch in the Pratunam and Siam area.
Bangkok, Thailand
A mild, rich curry with potatoes, peanuts and spices, often made with beef or chicken; found in Thai restaurants around Siam.
On the museum grounds
A restaurant and café by the garden serving Thai dishes, convenient after the tour.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Phaya Thai Road, BTS National Stadium
A busy food court in the MBK mall, a few minutes' walk away, with a wide choice of Thai dishes.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Rama I Road, BTS Siam
A large food hall and gourmet market in the Siam Paragon mall, one stop away.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Bangkok, Thailand
The shopping centre of Bangkok, where both BTS lines meet at Siam station. A practical base with malls, food halls and Skytrain connections in every direction.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Bangkok, Thailand
The business district beside Lumphini Park, with good BTS and MRT links, plenty of mid-range hotels and street food and night markets after dark.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Traditional Thai houses are built on stilts with raised thresholds — step over the threshold, never on it, as it is believed to be home to a guardian spirit. The spirit house in the garden is a reminder that Thai homes are shared with the spirits of the land.
Jim Thompson built the Thai silk industry into a world brand after the Second World War. He assembled old teak houses from Ayutthaya and Bangkok into this canal-side home, filled with Buddhist sculpture, paintings and ceramics.
In 1967 he disappeared on a walk in Malaysia's Cameron Highlands and was never found. His house is now a museum seen on guided tours.
Join a guided tour of the houses and garden.
Cross the canal bridge to see the weavers' lanes.
Walk to the contemporary art centre at the Pathum Wan junction.
Eat at MBK or the Siam Paragon food hall.
Any time of year; morning visits are cooler, and the garden is at its greenest in the rainy season (June–October).
BTS Sukhumvit Line to National Stadium, then a 5-minute walk.
The house is at the end of a small lane off Rama I Road, about five minutes on foot from BTS National Stadium. The Khlong Saen Saep canal boat stops at Hua Chang pier nearby. Visits are by guided tour in several languages; shoes come off at the door of the houses.
Visits are by guided tour; shoes come off inside the houses.
