One of the reasons I love going to the capital of Thailand — besides the vibrant cuisine and culture — is to visit the Jim Thompson House, the Bangkok home of the American intelligence officer turned Thai “Silk King” who disappeared in a Malaysian jungle in 1967. His life story continues to fascinate me.

In recent years, the complex has expanded from the home and a boutique into the Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter. It now includes a food-and-beverage wing, a four-story art center and a small museum above its “lifestyle” store. As when we visited in 2018, we took a commuter boat on the Saen Saep Canal to the Hua Chang Pier and bought a ticket for the guided tour of the house-museum (note that tickets are not sold online, and you are not allowed to enter without a guide). ​​​

The 45-minute tour took us inside his home, which consists of six traditional teak houses, buildings he purchased from various sources and had moved to this lush half-acre plot in central Bangkok. Using typical Thai building techniques, carpenters reassembled the houses without the use of nails and elevated them on stilts. Inside, the atmospheric rooms are decorated with Thompson’s extensive art collection, which includes priceless antiquities, like thousand-year-old Buddha statues, ancient scrolls, paintings and porcelain from across Southeast Asia. Seeing his bedroom, kitchen, dining area and living room areas, it’s easy to imagine how this iconic figure lived and entertained friends.