The Jim Thompson House

     Who is this Jim Thompson you might ask which is exactly what I asked when I came to Bangkok.  Well if you are not an interior decorator or a lover of fine silk you might not know his name, but he is someone very important in Thailand, and he just happens to be an American!

     Prior to WWII he was an architect.  During the war he was sent to Bangkok as a military officer and fell in love with Thailand.  After leaving the service he decided to return and live here permanently.  The hand weaving of silk captured Jim's attention and he decided to devote himself to reviving the craft. 

Here are some examples of silk worm cocoons.  The white ones are like the ones we saw in China.  The colored ones are of course already dyed.  The yellow are the most interesting to me.  They are supposedly only found in Thailand and are naturally yellow.  They are all very beautiful. 

Later I watched a man sit on that orange cushion and boil the cocoons.  Then he hooked 10 of the strings together to make one stronger thread.   An amazing process. 

I wish there had been someone spinning or weaving the cloth while we were there, but no such luck.  It was a beautiful old machine. 

Look at the colorful, amazing silk threads.  Can't you just imagine something wonderful being made on this machine?!!

     So the main reason you go to this Home and Museum is to see Jim Thompson's beautiful home and compound that he put together.  There isn't a silk factory here - Steve was disappointed, he wanted to see how the Thai people make silk - but it shows how Jim Thompson brought together six teak houses and combined them into one large house seamlessly.  It is truly beautiful.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I got a lot of decorating ideas by walking through his gorgeous house. 
 

The red paint that is used on the outside of all the buildings is a preservative often found on many old buildings.

Here is Steve getting ready to go into the compound.  I think he is telling me to hurry up and stop taking so many pictures!  :)

After the tour of the house they have a lovely restaurant which we took full advantage of.  We sat next to the Koi pond.  What a beautiful place.  I can see why Jim Thompson loved living here. 

 

So that is our trip to the Jim Thompson house.  For those of you that are coming out, if you like beautiful houses, silk, fish, or even just eating, we will take you here!!

                       Bye for Now!

                                       Linda