A Mini Father-and-Daughter Dream Came True
When my father visited us for the first time since our relocation, I took him to the biggest shopping centre the very next day, where the air conditioning was blasting, as the April heat was too intense for him. Trying to show him “Thailand” in the cooling comfort of a mall, the first place we “visited” was the Jim Thompson flagship store, the maker of some of the most iconic souvenirs from Thailand.
Looking around the beautiful Jim Thompson shop, my father became quite emotional. “More than 30 years ago when I first came to Thailand, I stood outside a Jim Thompson store, I peered inside and saw many nice things. I thought to myself they must be very expensive. I told my young self that one day I would come back and buy something from this shop.” And that day he did, but everything was for the people he loved. Little did he know that his daughter also had a similar “dream” when she started to commute to Bangkok regularly for her job.
I used to always make time, even only 5 minutes, to stop by the Jim Thompson shop before rushing to the boarding gate, to admire and feel the softness of their silk and wool. I was hoping one day, when I had my own house, I would fill it up with Jim Thompson fabrics.
A Textile Mogul’s Son, an Architect, and a Military Man Who Disappeared but Left a Legacy
The desire was further strengthened when one year a very good friend of mine had her wedding at the world-renowned Jim Thompson house. I learnt that Jim Thompson originally majored in architecture and used to build homes for celebrities. His Thai house was a fusion of traditional Thai architecture and his own flair. That home museum was full of antiques and Asian art that the “Thai Silk King” collected during the years that followed his landing in Thailand on a military plane. We all know that he disappeared after his “walk” on Cameron Highlands in Malaysia back in the 60’s. However, he has left a legacy which continued to allow Thai silk and the clothing made from it to thrive and shine, after he single-handedly revived it and put it into the world’s spotlight, helping Thailand clothes shopping become a major tourism draw in and of itself.
The Art de Vivre that Turns Living into Affordable Art
Since my first visit to a cozy Jim Thompson shop more than a decade ago to today’s flagship Jim Thompson store that features a home textile showroom, JT’s product range has largely expanded and become gradually more sophisticated. In the past, Jim Thompson was limited to a range of simple silk souvenirs from Thailand such as scarves, jewellery cases, pouches and bags. However, today’s offering are much more robust. The most eye catching are the ready-to-wear Thailand women’s clothing collections as well as the artworks like home textiles that beckon you to bring them home. The prices are so reasonable that I was able to collect them and gift them to friends overseas. As they are lightweight, I decided that they would be the best memories to move around the world with, even one day when we have to call another country our home.
Besides producing more intricate patterns for their scarves, ready-to-wear and home textiles, Jim Thompson invests in the R&D of silk, inventing technology to make it more wearable. My friends recently purchased some items from the latest Thailand women’s clothing collection in which the silk blouse, dress and trousers could be machine washed! That makes it easy selection for office wear, where the air conditioning is cold and easy to care enough for day-to-day maintenance.
The most expensive Jim Thompson item I have seen to date is a silk dress that is retailed at 14,400 baht (at time of writing USD is trading at 1:34.8). The least expensive item in store is their gorgeous greeting card, selling at 40 baht, which make cheap but memorable souvenirs from Thailand. On top, I have seen and enjoyed promotions on these greeting cards at least a few occasions since I moved here last year. Bottom line, what I learnt from our chaotic relocation during COVID was to collect something that is really light and easy to move. Even when you have to move countries, you do not have to debate whether to keep them or save the enormous amount of freight to keep some heavy, large and fragile items. Jim Thomason fabrics are definitely something I feel that can move with us wherever we go!
Visit www.JimThompson.com to learn about the company’s history, and discover the home museum, art center and all the retail locations near you. I particularly love to see all the art collections in the traditional Thai house and enjoy a cool glass of pandan juice at their relaxing café.
