Calling all fashionistas, foodies, and fans of Thai culture. Jim Thompson, the Thai silk brand, has stepped into a new era with its first lifestyle store at One Bangkok, an upmarket shopping mall in the heart of the city. Apart from the well-known, hand-woven Jim Thompson fabric and souvenirs made of fine, lustrous fibres, here’s why you’ll want to plot that spanking new shop on your Bangkok itinerary.

Today it’s about more than silk

Keen to become known as the global lifestyle brand from Thailand, Jim Thompson has set its sights on both local and international travellers – hence the appearance of its first lifestyle store. Situated on the ground floor of One Bangkok’s retail and hospitality building – The Storeys – which enhances the city’s status as a global integrated entertainment hub – the Jim Thompson Lifestyle Store deftly blends retail sales with cultural experiences and casual dining in Bangkok.

This new store aligns with Jim Thompson’s mission to offer their customers an immersive shopping experience that combines a wide range of products, culinary delights, and cultural experiences.

This opening marked another milestone in the brand’s transformation journey to become the first global lifestyle brand in Asia. And that rings true when you consider that the brand breathed new life into Bangkok’s Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter just one year ago.

This One Bangkok store demonstrates again that Jim Thompson is much more than a Thai silk brand – but truly a lifestyle brand that offers a sophisticated shopping and dining experience for both locals and tourists.

The visually appealing shop features several distinct zones

The retail zone

Step inside, and you can’t take help noticing the industrial design that envelops the fashion retail zones. Cinnabar in colour, that fiery style adds ambience to the purple, pink, and flower-patterned dresses, tote bags and pillows – from the exposed ceiling beams and ductwork to the tinted mirror glass and stair railings. Besides, fabrics from the Jim Thompson Home Furnishings collections grace the walls.

Covering a whopping 550 square metre area, the retail shop also sells elephant souvenirs and trendy hats and shirts, ideal for lazy afternoons on a powdery beach in Southern Thailand. Undoubtedly, the chic duplex design and immersive retail experience invite you for longer shopping sprees.

But walk up the atmospherically lit stairs, and you’ll find another eye-catching configuration.

The silk exhibition

On the second floor, right behind drapes, where the silk exhibition awaits, you don’t really know where to look first. As you’d expect in a Jim Thompson lifestyle store, the walls are clad in colourful silk yarns, but an oblique treadle loom dating back generations nods to the cultural heritage of this successful entrepreneur.

Thanks to Jim Thompson, an American-born businessman, the Thai silk industry became a major one worldwide in the 20th century. Perhaps it’s also his disappearance in 1967 – one of Southeast Asia’s most intriguing, unsolved mysteries to this day – that has given him legendary status.

Whatever happened to Jim Thompson the man, the Silk Exhibition is a fascinating journey through the history of this socialite and his company, as well as the deep relationship with the Thai silk making community. Visitors can discover how women wove silk on wooden looms and marvel at the craftsmanship of Jim Thompson fabrics and premium products, all of which have helped establish Jim Thompson as the iconic global lifestyle brand it is today.

The cherry on top?

After shopping and a taste of the kingdom’s rich silk heritage comes a touch of culinary indulgence.

Jim’s Terrace

Throning above the retail fashion floor, Jim’s Terrace is the brand’s first-ever integrated dining concept. Brownish-red decor challenges the innocent Jim Thompson fabrics that embellish some of the walls, while panoramic views of One Bangkok’s verdant landscape invite you to linger. Jim’s Terrace also overlooks a permanent exhibition commemorating The Wireless House, Thailand’s first telegraph station originally built in 1914. This exhibition is the re-build of Thailand’s first telegraph by One Bangkok; it’s not the original.

Culinary-wise, you can savour delicious Thai bites. Needless to say, you can also enjoy expertly crafted tipples in such a lovely setting. Jim’s Terrace is set to become Bangkok’s latest off-work hangout in the middle of the city.

High-end shopping, local bites, and a look into Thailand’s silk heritage, all under one roof – Jim Thompson lifestyle store is for travellers who are after something truly one of a kind. Given that Thailand wants to attract 40 million international visitors in 2025, this lifestyle hub will likely strengthen the brand’s global presence.

After all, Jim Thompson Lifestyle Store is located at One Bangkok, G Floor, The Storeys.

For more information, please visit www.jimthompson.com, and follow Jim Thompson on Facebook and Instagram.