Inday Clara Travels Solo #29: JIM THOMPSON'S HOUSE, MUSEUM AND LEGACY

in #steempress6 years ago (edited)

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The first place I went to see in Bangkok was the Jim Thompson House & Museum. I took a bus going here and walked a small distance from the main road. The entrance fee is 150 Baht for Adults and 100 Baht for those under 22 years old. After I got my ticket, I went straight to the information desk where they asked me if I would like to join the tour and which language I prefer. I said "Yes and English". After a few minutes, those who were joining the English tour were gathered. We then headed to the storage area to deposit our things that include my camera and go pro. Picture taken inside the house wasn't allowed. We also left our footwear as well.

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I was pretty much excited when the tour began. I have this question running in my mind for quite a while now. "Who was this JIM THOMPSON?" I was about to find out and this young lady told us all about him and how this place came to be.

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Jim Thompson was an American architect, who joined the U.S. Army during World War II. He was sent to Bangkok a short time later after the war ended. That was when he fell in love with Thailand. After leaving the Army, he came back and lived in Bangkok permanently.

This dude is, in fact, famous for two reasons. One was that he help revived the Silk Industry during the 1950's and 1960's. Thus he was named as the "Thai Silk King". Because of this, he helped Thailand's economy flourished. The second was the unique construction of his house which we are going to dip deep a little bit.

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Front of Jim Thompson's House

Jim Thompson's House is a combination of smaller "teak houses" or wood houses which shows the traditional Thai architecture. These teak houses as explained by our tour guide were about two centuries old. That is the reason why going around the house takes precaution. Most were individually brought from far off places, one from the old capital of Ayudhya.

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As you can see, the houses are elevated a full story above the ground. This is a typical Thai design to avoid flooding during rainy season. The roof tiles used were fired from Ayudhya - a design rarely used today. The red painting on the exterior walls is a preservative used on many old Thai Buildings. There was some art collection displayed on the lower part of the house that we were allowed to take photos.

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As I entered this unique house, I was drawn immediately to the art collections displayed all over the place. Too bad I can't show you some photos. But there were different types of art that can be seen inside. the floor on the ground floor was made of black and white tiles. There were Buddha statues as well. Beautiful paintings hanged on the wall as you climbed on the wooden stairs. The dining area was charming with the matching chandelier. I felt like I time traveled to the 1950's. Some of the house pieces of furniture were also preserved up to this time. There were notable pieces of beautiful art

Being a Civil Engineer, I admired how the wood was connected with each other without the use of nails. The walls were also inclined to the center. The doors were shaped in a trapezoidal shape leaning towards each other. It was fun to see such Thai architecture and culture incorporated in the design.

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Outside the house, I was like walking around a mini jungle. Tall plants were all over the place. There was just peace and serenity surrounding the place. There was a small pond, a spirit house and other small houses where art pieces were stored.

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By the time our tour ended, I decided to head out to the other small houses in the courtyard to see the remaining works of art. There were more about the Silk making craft, some were clay statues, ceramic plates and other artifacts that dated ages ago.

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The house and the art collection soon became open to the public and the proceeds were donated to Thai charities and projects tht preserve Thailand's rich cultural heritage.

I'd say this place is remarkable. Besides the house itself, the art collection inside, the reviving of the Silk making industry. It was the man behind all of this - the legacy he established. This place is worth visiting indeed.

So if you want to get away from the bustling city of Bangkok for a while and time travel for a short time, then head over to Jim Thompson's House & Museum! I'm pretty sure you will find it very interesting! The garden will give you the relaxation you need. There is a restaurant inside and a souvenir shop as well. Also when visiting, please give some respect. If they say, you are not allowed to take photos, then don't. A female traveler who was with my group tour had to be told a couple of times to keep her phone and it was really annoying.

Anyways, that's it for now! Stay tuned and Steem on!

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://indayclara.vornix.blog/2018/10/08/inday-clara-travels-solo-29-jim-thompsons-house-museum-and-legacy/

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It would be best if you have your own website @indayclara! Like indaytravels.org? something like that, Im looking forward to your official website!

Hey @chuuuckie! Thank you so much! I'm pretty much going there! I love the sound of it... indaytravels.org!

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Thank you so much @archisteem! I've checked on your amazing project and I love every bit of it. If my story helps your cause, please do so use them to inspire others. I will definitely be submitting my future travel blogs to you then.

Steem on @archisteem!

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This place has such a beautiful design filled with interesting art collections. Love the mini jungle! You can add the #archisteem and #placestoremember tags from @archisteem team. I'm sure they will love your post! :)

Hi @itchyfeetdonica! Thank you for your kind words! I definitely have check @archisteem and I love their project! Will be submitting my future blogs to them.

Steem on!

Hiya, just swinging by to let you know you're being featured in our daily Travel Digest. Please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider upvoting the Travel Digest if you like what we're doing.

Thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures of being in Bangkok and thank you for sharing the information about the museum Tim Thomson. It is nice to know that he decided to come back and created that beautiful house complex, distinct colors and very cute. I love interior it looks like everything has goldish colors, beautiful artworks on walls. Garden, really like a jungle, that is a dream for everyone to live in such a beautiful place. Very enjoyable post and pohotogrpahs

Thank you so much @stef1 for your appreciation! I agree with you. The color of the house just blends with the jungle-garden, right? Im definitely making my future home filled with such landscape.

Oh my! I have never been and I'm just here in Bangkok! Are you here in Bangkok still?? If so, I'd love to meet if you're down! :)

Hi @waybeyondpadthai! Thank you so much for dropping by! But sadly, I’m back in my homeland. Maybe someday we would cross paths in one of our travels. And yeah! You should check out this place. I know you love antique stuffs.
I’m definitely visiting the Rooster cafe you went to. Didnt know about that place too! 😍 So much we can learn from other travelers right?! so thank you for sharing your amazing stories as well.
Steem on!

This is that kind of a museum that I would enjoy visiting. It is funny to see how many photos you share from a place where you are not allowed to take photos :) All these artifacts are amazing and so old! The architecture is stunning. I didn't know that the houses in Thailand are built up on the first floor to avoid the flooding. What a great idea! That garden is so serene. Asians know how to make their gardens :) Thank you for sharing! If I would ever happen to be in Bangkok I would definitely take some time off the city and head to this museum!

@delishtreats! Thank you so much for reading my story. There are actually small houses outside the main house that store some other artworks that they allow photos taken. The inside of the main house is the main attraction though!

Great to hear from you! Steem on!