Santa Cruz Church

Santa Cruz Church stands on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok's Thon Buri District, displaying Renaissance Revival architecture with a cream-colored facade and a distinctive reddish-brown dome topped by a cross.

The original wooden church was built in 1770 by Portuguese settlers who relocated after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, and it served as Bangkok's main Catholic worship place before the Assumption Cathedral opened in 1821.

The church reflects the enduring Portuguese Catholic heritage in Thailand and remains an active center for religious services and community gatherings within the historically multicultural Kudi Chin neighborhood.

Sunday masses are conducted in Thai at 8:30 in the morning and 7 in the evening, with the church generally open for visitors from 5 in the evening until 7 at night.

The current structure was designed by Italian architects Annibale Rigotti and Mario Tamagno between 1913 and 1916, replacing an 1835 church that locals nicknamed the Chinese church due to its architectural style.

Location: Wat Kanlaya

GPS coordinates: 13.73904,100.49377

Latest update: November 28, 2025 15:19