Thai Silk - "The Legendary American" - Jim Thompson

(All Photos by Tavarua)

"The legendary American", the man who created the still existing Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company. A former OSS intelligence officer and architect.  In 1948 he had established himself as a silk distributor.

He collected  Asian objets d’art at a time when few westerners had the fascination for Asian antiques. His home now a museum located on the bank of the Saen Saeb Canal.

 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Road, Bangkok.

The first weavers of the Jim Thompson silk brand were the villagers at Ban Krua..

Frank Crowinshield the former editor to Vanity Fair arranged for Thompson to meet Edna Woolman Chase - at the time the editor for Vogue - she was the authority in the world of fashion.  Soon after their meeting Thai Silk was photographed for Vogue.

Jim Thompson House is six traditional Thai teak wood houses which were transported from Ayutthaya and Bangkok’s Ban Krua community.

After his mysterious disappearance in the Malaysian jungle in 1967 - his home with its collections were donated to the people of Thailand by his nephew.

East meets West - Italian marble floors.

East meets West - He had Belgian Chandeliers in the ceilings of his house.