Silk, Sea and Style

Here is the final installation from my recent trip to Bangkok. We start off at Jim Thompson's house.

Who?

Jim Thompson was an America that came to Thailand after WWII. He was fascinated by Thailand's dying cottage silk industry. In fact, when he got here, much of the silk was imported to Thailand. Jim is credited with revitalizing the industry and putting Thai Silk back on the map.

He was also a big fan of Thai culture and architecture. He had 6 house or buildings moved to his property (near the old Muslim silk district) and put together to form one large home with several other small buildings for his domestic staff.

His place is regarded as one of the best examples of traditional Thai architecture. You can tell from these photos, but the actual house is up on stilt as was common in Thailand. The photo below, show the back of the parlor and the landing to the klang or canal that bordered his property.

Incidentally, Jim mysteriously disappeared while trekking in a neighboring country of Southeast Asia. He has never been found.

Another stylish place in Bangkok is the Oriental Hotel. It was considered the top hotel in the world for many years and is still respected for the top notch service it offers to guests. These are shots of the lobby.

Just a short distance from the Oriental Hotel which sits on the Chao Phraya River, you can hop on a water taxi and see the city from the river. As the photo below shows, it ain't all posh digs in Bangkok; there are many house (most worse than this) that creep out over the river. Thais, especially Bangkokans, were known as "People of the Klang" because they used to live on rivers and canals and get around by boat.

Above: A traditional looking tour boat cruises the Chao Phraya. Below: A Chinese style pagoda, peeks over the river bank.

Now let's talk a look under the water...
This is one of Bangkok's newest attraction, Ocean World. It is located in the basement of the brand new, very fancy, 7-story mall. Below: A girl in an underwater tunnel snaps a picture of one of the denizens.

And this is what she was taking a picture of.