The Jim Thompson House Museum was fascinating. We joined a guided tour which took us around the westernised Thai style house that Jim Thompson designed himself. He was an American businessman who helped revitalise Thailand's silk and textile industry in the 1950s and 1960s. He took the ideas of Traditional Thai houses and put his westernised touches on them.
Traditionally Thai houses are made up of different rooms that are all built separately from each other. Jim had them built close to each other and joined them with verandas. The outside of the walls were usually patterned, as were the window sills to represent wealth, but Jim had the walls reversed so that the pattern and architecture could be enjoyed from the inside. He was also sure about installing a western toilet inside the house. The house was 
decorated beautifully with many pieces of furniture, ceramics and art from places all over the world including a crystal chandelier and french doors from China. Many Buddha statues adorned the garden area which was also filled with lush greenery. It would have been a spectacular mansion in it's day. Jim Thompson was born in the year of the horse and the Thai people say that people born in that year have to be careful of their health when they are 61. It turns out that when Jim was 61 he went to Malaysia for a holiday, went for a walk and never returned. To this day his disappearance remains a mystery.
decorated beautifully with many pieces of furniture, ceramics and art from places all over the world including a crystal chandelier and french doors from China. Many Buddha statues adorned the garden area which was also filled with lush greenery. It would have been a spectacular mansion in it's day. Jim Thompson was born in the year of the horse and the Thai people say that people born in that year have to be careful of their health when they are 61. It turns out that when Jim was 61 he went to Malaysia for a holiday, went for a walk and never returned. To this day his disappearance remains a mystery. 