After the murder of Henk, the sales clerk of Swinkels, the owner of a bird shop in Amsterdam, Pieter Vermeer, a well-known archaeologist, and Hélène, his air hostess daughter, get mixed up in a case of illicit smuggling of art objects between Thailand and Holland. With the agreement of his half-brother Jan, a police commissioner in Amsterdam, Pieter decides to contact the treasure plunderers in Bangkok under the guise of a rich art-lover...
Pierre Vermeer qui souhaite acheter un toucan se rend chez Swinkel's, un oiseleur d'Amsterdam. Aussi, ce dernier lui promet-il de lui procurer rapidement l'animal. Toutefois, le même soir, Henk, l'employé de Swinkel's est assassiné. Puis, Vermeer se retrouve en tête de la liste des suspects. Ainsi, une enquête commence qui va mener notre héros à Bangkok !