Bangkok Attractions

Venue: Jim Thompson's House    When: Daily

This wonderful building, synthesised from six traditional teak houses and packed full of Asian artefacts, was the work of Bangkok's silk guru and larger-than-life expat Jim Thompson. He transported the houses, most of which are over 200 years old, to Bangkok from as far away as Ayutthaya, adding quirky touches like the carved front of a Chinese pawn shop. The overall effect is cool, spacious and elegant - the perfect Bangkok retreat.

The late American Jim Thompson is famous not just for his mysterious 1960s disappearance in the Malaysian jungle, but also for popularising Thai silk. The eponymous company he founded is now a clothing and home décor empire with international stores and a globally recognised brand.

Thompson's house and impressive Southeast Asian art collection has been turned into a museum that exemplifies (and indeed pioneered) the Asiaphile domestic aesthetic, mixing traditional architecture, furniture, utensils and plants with modern functionality and an outsider's eye for beauty in indigenous details. Few leave the guided tour of his canal-side assemblage of ancient wooden houses without pangs for having a home just like that. In the landscaped gravel car park beside its verdant grounds, the JT Foundation has built a shop, café, bar and reception hall in sympathetic style, called Ayara Hall, where upmarket functions and parties are held.

Although a lynchpin of the expat society, Thompson was also passionate about traditional Thai and Asian art, as can be seen from the permanent exhibition in the house. There are priceless items, like a 17th-century teak Buddha and an astounding collection of Thai paintings, but other pieces were obviously bought for aesthetic value alone.

Just when the Thai silk industry was in severe decline, Thompson decided to revive it. Thanks to his society connections, a good eye for colour and tireless entrepreneurial spirit, the American succeeded, putting Thai silk back on the world map.

In 1967 Thompson disappeared somewhere in the jungles of Malaysia. Theories, as colourful and bold as his life had been, soon began to emerge. He worked for the Office of Strategic Services (later the CIA) for some time and this provided much speculation; his fame grew, but the truth was never discovered.