The Jim Thompson House Museum is a perfect example of traditional architecture in the center of Bangkok, a kind of «jungle area» in the metropolis. Those who like to mix business and pleasure can go shopping after visiting the house-museum. There are large malls nearby: Central World Plaza, MBK and Siam Paragon with the biggest oceanarium in Thailand.

The museum was named after Jim Thompson who was considered the founder of the museum. He’s an American entrepreneur who made a fortune on the revival of the silk industry in Thailand in the 1950s. But it’s not entirely true. Initially, Mr. Thompson intended to build a house for himself. In 1959, he bought an abandoned area on the canal bank, opposite the Baan Krua community, where the weavers of his factory worked. Being an architect, the businessman designed the project of his residence. The house like a constructor consisted of six old Thai dwellings of the 18th-19th centuries delivered from the ancient capital of Siam, Ayuttaya. The marble floor there resembles a chessboard.

Jim Thompson was engaged in the search and restoration of objects of ancient Thai art, buying statues, vases, manuscripts, ceramics, paintings and antiques in provinces. He brought works of art from other countries as well: Burma, Cambodia and Laos. In his collection, Thompson had white and blue Chinese porcelain brought to Thailand in the 16th-17th centuries. He demonstrated all this splendor of the ancient culture at home.

Nowadays you can come into Thompson’s house only with a guide. Excursions are held in English, French and Thai, depending on the group. The museum has strict rules: it is not allowed to walk in shoes, take photos, and personal belongings should be left in the storage room.

During the excursion, they tell about the stages of Thai silk production from growing cocoons and obtaining threads to finished things.

A beautiful tropical garden with lotuses and water lilies blooming in artificial reservoirs is laid around the house. There is also a pond inhabited by Japanese carps. Here visitors forget about the bustle of the metropolis and enjoy the silence and solitude. Things in the house look as if their owner has gone out for a minute and will come back soon.

But he never returned...