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This is a fine example of authentic Thai traditional house, with an impressive collection of Southeast Asian art within. Located at the end of a small road overlooking Saen Saeb canal, the house once belonged to an American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, who triumphantly promoted Thai silk to the West.
 Jim Thompson was a New York architect who briefly served in the Office of Strategic Services (forerunner of the CIA) in Thailand during WWII. He decided to live in Bangkok after the war and work on developing Thai silk into an international product by sending samples to fashion houses in Europe, building an international clientele.
The Jim Thompson house comprises a group of six traditional Thai-style teak houses that were purchased from different owners from various parts of Thailand. They were put together and the construction was completed in 1959. It is a manifestation of the best-preserved traditional Thai houses in the capital. It features a wide collection of antiques and artworks from Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia. Outstanding items include blue and white Ming porcelain, the 19th century Vessantara Jataka paintings and the 6th century Dvaravati Buddha image in the garden - believed to be one of the oldest surviving Buddha statues in the world.
Thompson vanished under mysterious circumstances while on a walk in the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia in 1967. He left behind his flourishing business, including this house of historical value as his memorial in Thailand.
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