Jim Thompson's Shops, Bangkok

Jim Thompson is famous for reviving the silk trade & manufacturing in this country. He built an incredible house (which I encourage you to visit & get the tour), and then he went missing while on some adventure. He was a 'horse' (zodiac), and at age 61, he went missing. I found it somewhat "coincidental" during my tour of his house that 'horses' according to the zodiac, have some kind of 'warning' when they reach age 61, so I'll be waiting.

The Thai people are very grateful for him and his efforts, and so they memorialize him by raising money with his products to carry on his wishes, maintain his house and so much more. The products with his name are not cheap, not expensive, and high quality, so anything from this store would make a great gift for the holidays.

What to buy: Definitely get a silk scarf at this store. Anything silk.

What to pay: There isn't much haggling you can do at this store. Expect to pay $20-50 US$ for a scarf, depending on how big it is. There are various sizes, so feel free to open it up. Notice how thin the material is, look for well-sewn seams.

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The Jim Thompson House, now a museum, is the second most popular tourist attraction in Bangkok, surpassed only by the Grand Palace in visitor attendance.
Jim Thompson was an American who was born in Greenville, Delaware, in 1906. A practicing architect prior to World War II, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army, campaigned in Europe, and came to Asia as part of the force that planned to liberate Thailand. However, the war ended before the operation. He arrived in Bangkok a short time later as a military intelligence officer attached to the O.S.S. After leaving the service, he decided to return and live in Thailand permanently.The hand weaving of silk, a long-neglected cottage industry, captured Jim Thompson's attention, and he devoted himself to reviving the craft. Highly gifted as a designer and textile colorist, he contributed substantially to the industry's growth and to the worldwide recognition accorded to Thai silk.He gained further renown through the construction of his house combining six teak buildings which represented the best of traditional Thai architecture. Most of the houses were at least two centuries old and were easily dismantled and brought to the present site, some from as far away as the old capital of Ayutthaya.On March 27th 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared while on a visit to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Not a single valid clue has turned up in the ensuing years as to what might have happened to him. His famous Thai house, however, remains as a lasting reminder of his creative ability and his deep love of Thailand.

What to buy: The cafe has great food and drinks and the shop is full of wonderful gifts of the highest quality. It is a really lovely place to visit when you are feeling tired of the noise and crowds of this city. They have a guided tour though the english pronunciaton is suspect.

Jim Thompson Company has a lot of branches that sell a lot of things besides thai silk like antiques, sofa's, Bed, Chairs, etc.

What to pay: Very Expensive!

Jim Thompson was an American architect who served in Thailand during WWII. He is the man responsible for the popularity of Thai silk worldwide, the man who saved it from the threat of extinction. Today, there are several Jim Thompson shops around the city that sell some of the most exquisite Thai silk products like scarves, blouses, purses, etc.

What to buy: Silk, silk and more silk! Oh, and the cookbook, At The Table with Jim Thompson.

I don't really shop at airports. I have no idea why. But the new Bangkok airport was just so nice and I just loved the Jim Thompson shops!

What to buy: I bought a passport holder for only Bt440 (about USD10). Cheap!

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Where Mr. Jim Thompson housed is a very touristic area, and so is the Jim Thompson Factory Sales Outlet store in Bangkok Centre, offering a very wide range of quality souvenirs and accessories for home. But the company credits affected the international market for Thai silk, for queens, princesses, countesses, other royal personalities and moviestars. For now it is solidly positioned with the taste of the middle-aged mamasans.

Mr. Jim Thompson received a world-wide known good reputation, became a tireless promotor of traditional Thai arts and culture. And got into the spheres of mystics and mystery because of his intriguing disappearence. Yet a lot of young and trendy fans found their way to the Jim Thompson's Shops, because of some very nice items.

What to buy: Famous was his housecoat, made of beautifully weaved silk with a multified colour design. It costed about 10.000 THB, not that cheap though also not that stiff and high-priced ... Unfortunately I can tell you that the beautiful housecoat is out of his collection! So the ones who do has this item, are the lucky ones heeheeh,... snobby you!

What to pay: A t-shirt by Mr. Jim Thompson is about 5.000 THB

Jim Thompson's shops is where you can find the best thai silk. Their quality is excellent and though it's a bit pricier than in other places, it's well worth the money.
Everything made with silk can be found here, from blouses, to ties, cushions, handbags.

Their shops are also very nice and I found their customer service to be the best. They have fix prices here so don't expect to bargain at these shops.

There are several shops in Bangkok, many of them in the 5* hotels , but the main shop in Surawong Road.

Many people have heard of the Jim Thompson shops. Their main branch in Bangkok is at Surawong near Patpong.

Being a bloke, the last thing I wanted to look at on holiday was cushions, bedcovers and hankerchiefs and the like. I therefore sat outside the shop, bored to tears whilst my wife happily spent an eternity in the place.

The Jim Thompsons shops also have a an 'outlet' in the same area where they sell silk off the roll at about half the price of the main stores. If you are planning a major refurbishmant at home, then this could well be worth checking out.

Whilst we were in the place we met a gentleman from Chelsea in London who was spending hundreds on new curtains and cloth, and he claimed that the saving he would make compared to buying in London was equilvalent to the airfare !