The Catholic Church Chanthaburi

The construction of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Chanthaburi took over 300 years to complete. Formerly built on the west bank of the Chanthaburi River in 1711 by Father Heutte Tolentino and Christian Vietnamese immigrants, the church was later relocated to the east side of the river, its current location, in 1834. Subsequently in 1903, the old church was replaced by the present bigger Gothic style building because of the growing Christian community in the area. It is one of the biggest Catholic churches in Thailand and represents the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chanthaburi. During World War II in 1940, the two spires of the chapel were taken down to make it less obvious to the allied bombers. Apart from its long history, this classic church also holds significance in terms of art. All of the chapel’s windows were elaborately decorated by colorful stained glasses, which have exhibited its priceless elegance for over a hundred years. Situated inside the chapel is a statue of the Virgin Mary, the center piece of the church, together with statues of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Virgin Mary. You can visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Chanthaburi during the Missa ceremony two times a day from Monday to Saturday (6.00 – 7.00 am and 6.00 – 7.45 pm) and three times a day on Sunday (6.15 am, 8.30 am, and 7.00 pm). Please dress properly. For advance booking, call 0 3931 1578. There are also light decorations at night on important days of the year. 

Credit: https://www.tourismthailand.org/