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Welcome to the home of Thailand’s silk king, the Jim Thompson House Museum in Bangkok is one of the best things to do in the city and not to be missed. If you need a sense of calm in this metropolis, you will find it here.
Not far from the huge shopping malls of Siam Paragon and MKB Center, you will find sanctuary and silence in the former home of Jim Thompson. Now a museum, this is one of the best things to do in Bangkok as you will be transported, almost immediately, to the 1960s and wander past traditional Thai houses built from teak wood admiring Mr Thompson’s collection of Southeast Asian art. Furthermore, there is also a great mystery to discover; Jim Thompson disappeared completely in 1967 and has never been found since.
If you’re looking for a real-life guide to visiting the Jim Thompson House Museum or just inspiration on what to do in Bangkok, this post is for you!
JIM THOMPSON HOUSE MUSEUM
WHO IS JIM THOMPSON?
Jim Thompson, a former secret service agent, was an American businessman who, after World War II, remained in Thailand with the goal of reviving the Thai silk industry. This luxury product was soon the envy of the world and made Jim Thompson an extremely wealthy man.
In 1959, Jim Thompson began building his new home next to one of Bangkok’s many canals, or khlongs, which he planned to fill with his collection of Southeast Asian antiques, works of art, and artifacts. The house, which has been immaculately preserved as if the owner had simply left one morning never to return, is made up of six teak houses in their traditional Thai style (all relocated from Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand).
On Easter Sunday 1967, Jim Thompson mysteriously disappeared in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia and was never seen again. Rewards of $25,000 were offered but, to this day, Jim Thompson has never been found and no one knows what happened that day. Maybe his past caught up with him, maybe he was eaten by a leopard or maybe he just wanted to disappear. Who knows?
THE TOUR
In order to explore the house, you must join one of the required tours offered in several different languages. You’ll be taken from room to room with a guide who will explain the history of the building, Jim Thompson himself, and his collection of artwork. The tour was brilliant and really interesting given that I had never heard of Jim Thompson before. One of the facts from the entire tour that seemed to stick with me was that the entire structure was built without nails. I know it doesn’t sound too exciting now that I’ve written it, but I was a little amazed at the craftsmanship that had been put into not only the building itself but also every little detail.
The tour lasts around 35 minutes in total, so afterwards you can explore the store and admire high-quality silk products (some also at a healthy price) or have some food in the hotel restaurant with a drink on the terrace. Next door is the Jim Thompson Art Center which showcases more modern and contemporary art and admission costs 50 baht.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
OPENING HOURS
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last tour starting at 5 p.m.
HOW TO GET TO THE JIM THOMPSON HOUSE MUSEUM
If you use public transport, the closest metro station is Estadio Nacional on the Silom line and, from there, you are just a four-minute walk away. Of course, the older part of Bangkok doesn’t have the subway system, so you can easily take a taxi or tuk-tuk directly to the entrance. A boat will also take you along the canal, head to Hua Chang Pier.
TICKETS
Adult: 250 baht
Ages 10-21: 150 baht (ID required)
Children under 10 years old: Free (accompanied by an adult)
Please note that you cannot purchase tickets to the Jim Thompson Museum anywhere online, but must purchase them in person at the box office. We had no problem simply showing up at our convenience and walking right in; Fortunately you don’t need a reservation.
SCAM WARNING
Ok, I’ve never done this before, but I thought it would be sensible to add a general warning about scams in Bangkok. I can tell you this from absolute experience as, despite doing a lot of research and considering myself a fairly wise and resourceful traveler, I fell for a scam in Bangkok! Apparently one of the main scams is that someone will start a conversation with you seemingly out of nowhere, but not out of the ordinary. Lo and behold, the place you wanted to visit is “closed today” and suddenly a tuk-tuk stops and takes you to a better place to see! This is what happened to us and we had to keep asking the tuk-tuk to stop and let us get off before they took us to another random temple or a suit factory.
Therefore, when visiting the Jim Thompson House Museum, always consult the official website Check opening times and remember that there are no tickets available to buy online. Keep your wits about you and then some, and you shouldn’t have any problems!
This concludes my guide to visiting the Jim Thompson House Museum in Bangkok and I hope you enjoyed the post and the photos. I really enjoyed our visit and would love to return one day; I honestly think that a visit to the museum is a must for any visitor to Bangkok.
If you have any ideas or have your own experiences, let me know in the comments below.
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