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Jim Thompson House Museum

December 13, 2013 by David Herd

The legend lives on.

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson House Bangkok Museum showing traditional Thai architecture combined with Western influences.   In 1967, Jim Thompson went on holiday with friends to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. There he set out for a walk in the surrounding jungle but never returned. Thus began the Jim Thompson legend.  

Jim Thompson House is a museum in Bangkok. It is a complex of various old Thai structures that the American businessman Jim Thompson collected in from all parts of Thailand in the 1950s and 60s.

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson, an American businessman was perhaps ‘the best known foreigner in Bangkok, and possibly in Southeast Asia’. “In the twenty years before his ill-fated holiday in Malaysia, he had accomplished more than most men in a full life. He had built a major industry in a remote and little known country whose language he could not speak; he had become an authority on an art that, previously, he scarcely knew existed and had assembled a collection that attracted scholars from all over the world; he had built a home that was a work of art in itself and one of the landmarks of Bangkok; and, in the process of doing all this, he had become a sort of landmark himself, a personality so widely known in his adopted homeland that a letter addressed simply ‘Jim Thompson, Bangkok’ found its way to him in a city of three and a half million people.”

Living Room

Jim Thompson House Museum

In 1958 this American businessman began what was to be the pinnacle of his architectural achievement, a new home to showcase his art collection. Formed from parts of six antique Thai houses, his home (completed in 1959) sits on a klong (canal) across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Most of the 19th-century houses were dismantled and moved from Ayutthaya, but the largest – a weaver’s house (now the living room) – came from Bangkuar.

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Silk Loom at Jim Thompson House.

Jim Thompson House Museum

With his natural flair for design and colour, and driven by his single-minded dedication to reviving the craft, Thompson soon gained worldwide recognition for his success in rebuilding the silk industry in Thailand, for generating international demand for Thai silk and for contributing to the growth of the silk industry.

Spooling silk at Jim Thompson House

Jim Thompson House Museum

Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum is only about 15 minutes walk from the MBK centre.

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Elevated rooms.

Jim Thompson House Museum

In the hot and humid tropical climate, the airy, open quality of a Thai house and the broad overhangs of its roof protect the interior from both sun and rain. Elevated houses facilitate the circulation of air and offered a more comfortable living space. It was cooler to live in and protected the home from the risk of floods in the monsoon season. It also offered protection from hostile wildlife. The open space beneath the house was versatile. It was used as a living area in the hot season, as storage for the season’s harvest, and as a place to keep livestock.

All visitors have a guide.

Jim Thompson House Museum

It’s such a popular Thailand tourist destination you are not allowed to walk around the property by yourself, you must wait for a guide to take you in groups.

Rice storage.

Jim Thompson House Museum

This separate room was where they stored the rice. It is such a unique property in the heart of Bangkok, you can see why it’s such a popular Thailand tourist destination.

Entertainers at Jim Thompson Bangkok Museum

Jim Thompson House Museum

These lads looked terrific in their traditional costumes.

Thai welcome at Jim Thompson House.

Thai welcome at Jim Thompson House in Bangkok, beautiful dancers.
 

Here is a slide show.

 

Jim Thompson in 1962

Jim Thompson House Museum

A rare old photo of Jim Thompson.

Thanks for visiting my Jim Thompson House museum photo blog. 

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

Thanks for visiting my Jim Thompson House Bangkok Museum photo blog.

                       Here are some more posts to check out
 

Holiday Inn

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Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

The building in the middle is the Holiday Inn, on the left is the Amari Hotel which is another very good five star hotel. Use THIS LINK to book for a very good room rate.

Sabai Wing North Pattaya

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The best Pattaya budget hotel, 3 pools & opposite Central Marina shopping mall. For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Sutus Court is a great budget hotel right i the heart of one of Pattaya’s main bar areas, just use THIS LINK for a terrific room rate. 420/100 Moo 9 Soi Buakhao.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Click here for my post on Bangkok bars.

 

 


Heavy rain in Pattaya

 

Tropical storm floods Pattaya, I love to see the storm clouds roaring across Pattaya bay from my condo. https://fivestarvagabond.com/tropical-storm-floods-pattaya/

Posted by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com” on Saturday, April 4, 2015

The River Kwai

 

On the Burma railway the dead POWs included 6,904 British personnel, 2,802 Australians, 2,782 Dutch, & 133 Americans.

Posted by Travel blogger Fivestarvagabond.com” on Thursday, February 19, 2015

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Portofino wealthy holiday resort

November 18, 2013 by David Herd

Magnificent Mediterranean home

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Portofino wealthy  holiday resort, if you want to see how the rich & famous live in Europe just take a wonderful one hour walk from Santa Margherita. The homes are truly magnificent,  prepare yourself for a great experience when you arrive at the beautiful waterfront village of Portofino. The buildings, the boats, the restaurants, it’s all there. Just make sure you have your credit card and a wallet full of Euros.

Bella bella!

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Portofino  is an Italian fishing village, and upmarket resort famous for its picturesque harbour and historical association with celebrity visitors. It is a comune located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbor, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast. Other nearby beaches include Camogli, Chiavari, Lavagna, and Sestri Levante.

An amazing destination

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Just sitting in the morning sun, sing it for us Otis. 🙂

 

You can smell the money here.  😎

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

This is a fascinating place to visit, it is however very expensive as you can imagine.  

The Portofino wealthy Italians arrive

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

I wonder if he can afford to buy everyone lunch? The truth is he can probably afford to buy the damn restaurant.  

Lunch, nice but expensive.

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

If I remember correctly my seafood soup was 26 Euros.  

King of the hill

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

The sheer wealth here is astonishing, I imagine most of these homes have been handed down through families for centuries. If walls could talk there would be some fascinating tales  to be told here. 😳  

Same house different aspect

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

No matter which way you look at this home it is simply breathtaking, I wonder which boat is theirs? My money is on the red one. 

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This is the Club Mediterranean yacht.

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Quite an amazing looking yacht. 

Some people really struggle in life, others don’t.

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Naturally there is a helicopter aboard.

And the beat goes on.

Portofino wealthy tourist holiday resort

  Now this is what I call a great boat.  

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Global inequality is certainly growing, in 2015 half the world’s wealth is in the hands of just 1% of the population.

Can you imagine the cost to fill the tank?

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Imagine this, you pull into the dock and say “fill it up please”, it would cost as much as an around the world air fare.  

Big Daddy 

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

No matter how big your boat is I guarantee someone around the corner someone has a bigger one.  

On the hill is Hotel Splendido

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Hotel Splendido is rated the number one hotel in Portofino. 

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

An unforgettable experience.

Halfway between Santa Margherita & Portofino

Portofino wealthy holiday resort

 For the budget minded like myself it makes more sense to stay at Santa Margherita and visit Portofino on foot or by ferry. The Lido Palace is on the beach if you want to go upmarket, my hotel was one block back and reasonable priced, with free car parkingThe Mediterraneo.
 
Thanks for visiting my Portofino wealthy holiday resort photo blog.
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Click here to see one of my favourite places in France.

 

Here is another great part of the world

 

Cinque Terre is very close

 

 

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