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Thompson
noted that many of the fine old houses in existence
were still in excellent condition in spite of
their age of a hundred years or more . He thus
decided to purchase several old houses and reassemble
them.
The
original Jim Thompson house and outbuildings were
re-constructed from all or parts of six separate
old houses that were brought from various parts
of the country to the present location.
Photographs
taken during construction of the Jim Thompson
house
in early 1959 and his proposed plan for the house
as drawn for his sister.
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THE DRAWING
ROOM
The oldest part of
the main house is an early 19th century house
from the silk weaving village of Ban Krua, across the
klong. This became the Drawing Room.
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The drawing room.
The oldest part of the house, dating from around
1800, this is also the largest single structure.
It came from the weaving community of Ban Krua across
the canal |
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| A glittering crystal
chandelier from a former palace hangs from the high
ceiling. Burmese figurines of "nat" or good
spirits from Amarapura decorate the niches,
which were originally windows. |
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THE KITCHEN
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View from the
courtyard showing the entrance to the stairwell
and on the right, the wing that formerly served
as the kitchen.
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The next oldest part
is the kitchen wing which also came from the weaving
village. Dated from the middle of the 19th
century, it had been part of an old palace which had
been sold and moved to Ban Krua fifty years before.
For the remaining structures,
Thompson's search took him to the province of Ayutthaya,
upriver from Bangkok. He eventually found most of what
he needed in a village called "Pak Hai", northwest of
the former capital. The houses were taken down, neatly
stacked on barges and brought by river and klong directly
to the construction site in Bangkok.
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AUSPICIOUS
DATES & TIMES
For good luck, peace
and harmony to prevail, the advice of a Buddhist monk
is often sought with regard to the auspicious dates
and times. This involves plotting astrological charts
based on the date of the birth of the owner of the house
relative to several other astrological elements.
September 15, 1958
09:00
Construction of the Jim Thompson house began on an
auspicious date and time as determined by astrological
readings.
April 3, 1959
Construction was officially completed.
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THAI
SPIRIT HOUSE
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These little
houses are often charming miniature replica
of a Thai-style house or temple. According
to traditional Thai belief, the spirit house
provides a home for the resident spirits of
the compound. Wielding considerable power,
resident spirits can play a major role in
the fortune and destiny of the inhabitants
of the compound. If the spirits are offended
by inappropriate acts, neglect or disrespect,
bad luck and misfortune befalls the owner
and residents of the house. To appease and
pacify the spirits, a daily offering of incense
sticks, fresh flowers and food is presented.
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house is of primary importance. A badly positioned
spirit house brings countless misfortune to
the residents. Great care is taken to ensure
that it is never placed in a location where
the shadow of the main building casts a shadow
over it. Hence the spirit house is often found
in the northern, eastern or northeastern corner
of the compound. |
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