Christ Church, Bangkok, Thailand
Christ Church
Bangkok, Thailand
Christ Church, the old historic neo-Gothic Anglican church built at the end of Soi Convent in Bangkok, Thailand, is a beautiful example of expatriate construction in old Siam.
Christ Church, my home church in my own adopted city of Bangkok, Thailand, is built in a neo-Gothic style, and dates back to 1862. Although technically a church within the Anglican Communion, Christ Church was officially established by the King of Siam as "a church for all peoples"; a Protestant church designated to serve the entire Protestant expat population of Siam.
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| the sanctuary of Christ Church, Bangkok, Thailand |
Originally Protestants in Thailand met in each other's homes. Thailand is predominantly a Buddhist country, and the small percentage of Christians in the kingdom are mostly Catholic.
A small chapel was built on the banks of the Chaophraya called "Protestant Union Chapel" or "The English Church". Eventually, the congregation continued to grow, and HM King Chulalongkorn of Thailand (Rama V) granted a piece of land to the congregation. The current church building was constructed in 1905.
The beautiful neo-Gothic church looks like something out of the English countryside, albeit with several tropical trappings such as the cane armchairs which take the place of pews and the several fans and strong air-conditioning unit (a necessity in Thailand).
The church holds a very special place in the history of Bangkok's storied expatriate population. It includes memorials and commemorations to many of the city's most famous and important foreigners, including Louis Lenowens, the son of the famous Anna Lenowens (of "Anna and the King of Siam").
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The beautiful neo-Gothic church looks like something out of the English countryside, albeit with several tropical trappings such as the cane armchairs which take the place of pews and the several fans and strong air-conditioning unit (a necessity in Thailand).
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| inside Christ Church |
The beautiful stained-glass window behind the alter depicts a scene of the Crucifixion of Jesus. The window has its own interesting history - it was originally installed backwards by accident! It wasn't until 2012 when the church underwent renovations that the window was removed and correctly re-installed.
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There are several other beautiful stained-glass windows in the sanctuary.
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| a plaque memorializing Louis Lenowens at Christ Church |
There's also a plaque commemorating the 1972 visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, and the Princess Royal. During their tour of Thailand, the three members of the Royal Family attended a service at Christ Church.
Christ Church is "A Church for All Peoples", and was built as a Protestant church for Christians of any denomination. While anyone is invited to attend, the church is Anglican-Episcopal in form and is a parish in the Anglican Church of Thailand (within the Diocese of Singapore) in the Church of the Province of South East Asia (a member church of the Worldwide Anglican Communion).
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| the Prayer Book for the Anglican Church in Thailand |
Location of Christ Church, Bangkok (Anglican Church in Bangkok, Thailand)
Christ Church is located at 11 Convent Rd, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500. The church is a short (10-15 minute) walk from BTS Sala Daeng Station and MRT SiLom Station. Alternately, you can book a taxi or Grab to Soi Convent, where the church is located (near Bangkok Nursing Hospital).
You can read more on Wikipedia: Christ Church Bangkok - Wikipedia.
You can read more on Wikipedia: Christ Church Bangkok - Wikipedia.
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