The House of the Silk King

Deep in the jungle of skyscrapers that is central Bangkok, there is a compound of well-preserved, historic Thai buildings, surrounded by lush gardens, overlooking a picturesque canal. It is a place of peace, the mirage of a more elegant era, when silk was making its long, serpentine journey back into the fashion world.

An ex-CIA American, traveling the world after serving as a spy in WWII, fell in love with Thailand. Jim Thompson (1906-1967) was trained in architecture as well as espionage. He had traveled extensively throughout Thailand and collected antiques as he went. Desiring a home worthy to showcase his collection, he purchased old Thai structures built in the previous century, made mainly of teak. Reassembling these buildings on his property near the canal, he created a compound of six Thai dwellings that now comprise the Jim Thompson House. He moved into these living quarters in 1959 and stayed there until his mysterious disappearance in 1967, entertaining businessmen and personalities such as Bobby Kennedy.

While staying with friends at a hill station in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands,

Thompson went out for a walk on Sunday, March 26, 1967. 

He never came back. Despite one of the largest land searches in the history of this area,

Thompson’s remains were never found. His disappearance remains a mystery.

One of Jim Thompson’s passions was preserving the traditional silk weaving found in villages all around Thailand—each village with a distinctive pattern. He brought Thai silk to American designers, who  began making silk one of the top fashion fabrics of that era. His house was built across the canal from a colony of silk weavers, and Thompson is credited with single-handedly reviving and preserving the Thai silk industry. 

Our kind and generous guide, Nui, took us by bus to a BTS station near downtown, then on the BTS to the stop near Jim Thompson’s. 

Note Phil’s shirt celebrating the Chinese New Year. 

Celebrative clothing must be red and gold and have dragons on it (the Year of the Dragon).

The day was hot, and we were grateful for the shaded, cool walkways and ponds that surround the buildings of the compound.

We had an engaging, spirited young Thai woman lead us through the area and give us its history in perfect, memorized English. 

She told us it took her several months to memorize her script.

She had a lot to say!

The main house was made of teak, like the rest of the compound—simple, elegant, timeless, and filled with antiques from all over Asia.

A close-up of the cat from the photo above this one.

Its head is removable; it’s actually a small boy’s urinal, cleverly disguised.

If you look closely, you can see the phrase, “God Bless the UAS”—unfortunate typo.

Many unusual antique statues grace the rooms and hallways.

Apologies for the unclear picture—the glass reflected too much to get it clearly.

But look closely, and you will see a small white mouse crouching in the maze of boxes 

and tunnels. This is an antique “mouse TV,” where guests in the 1800s would sit and watch for hours, 

betting on which mouse will make it to the bottom first. Great entertainment!

And thank you to Nui, who shepherded us around all day and once again guided us home safely in time for an afternoon toes-up. We love you!