Santa Cruz Catholic Church and Portuguese Community Kudee Jean - Thailand 2022

When you think of religion in Bangkok you think of the magnificent Buddhist temples, but along the Chao Phraya River in the heart of Bangkok are a series of beautiful Catholic churches.

Most of the churches date back hundreds of years when European countries were first making contact with Thailand, or the Kingdom of Siam as it was called then.

Portugal was the first European nation to make contact with the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1511. Portuguese became dominant foreign traders, and established a significant presence in the old capital.

After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese King Taksin moved the capital to Tonburi and rewarded the Portuguese a small plot of land for their service and loyalty. On this land they established the Santa Cruz church and built their community. As the years passed the Portuguese were replaced by Chinese immigrants in the area who kept many of the traditions alive.

Today the community around the church is proud of their heritage. In addition to the church there is a Catholic school, a museum dedicated to their history and there is even a Portuguese delicacy that is still baked in the traditional way at several bakeries in the area called Kanom Farang. It’s a desert from an old receipt passed down from generation to generation.

The Kudijeen community and the Santa Cruz church are a great part of the city that is little known to most outsiders. It’s well worth half a day to visit and you can explore the area on foot as well as the riverside where you can see many other things that Tonburi has to offer.

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