Following on from the excellent reception in New York, Thompson’s Thai Silk business prospered and in 1950 he opened his first shop on the iconic Surawong Road in Bangkok. Jim also acquired a diverse collection of Thai art. By the late 1950’s, his collection was so extensive that he built a place to house his splendid antique collection. In 1959, Thompson’s famous House on the Klong, made up of six old teak wood houses in Bangkok (Banh Krua) and Ayutthaya province (Pak Hai), was completed.