Chanthaburi, Thailand

🇹🇭 Chanthaburi is a town in the east of Thailand, on the banks of the Chanthaburi River. It is the capital of the Chanthaburi Province and the Mueang Chanthaburi District. The town covers the two tambons Talat and Wat Mai of Mueang Chanthaburi District. The town figures in the legacy of King Taksin. In 1981 the Thai cabinet passed a resolution to bestow on him the honorary title of the Great. When the Bank of Thailand issued the 12th Series of banknotes, called The Great Series, the monument of King Taksin the Great in the town's Tungnachaey recreational park appeared on the back of the 20 baht note issued 28 December 1981, the 214th anniversary of his coronation.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the principal church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chanthaburi, is the largest church in Thailand.

Transport Route 3 (Sukhumvit Road) passes near Chanthaburi and connects to city to Rayong, Pattaya, Chonburi, and Bangkok to the north-west and Trat to the southeast. Route 317 connects Chanthaburi to Sa Kaeo.

Geography Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Khao Khitchakut, Makham, Khlung, Laem Sing, and Tha Mai of Chanthaburi Province.

History The indigenous people of the Chanthaburi region are the Chong. The Chong have lived in the area since the Ayutthaya Kingdom, and are thought to have been early inhabitants of Cambodia, possibly pre-dating the Khmer. In Chanthaburi province, the Chong predominantly inhabit the districts of Khao Khitchakut, Pong Nam Ron, and Makham.

After the Paknam crisis in 1893, French colonial troops occupied Chanthaburi, returning it in 1905 when Thailand gave up ownership of the western part of Cambodia. A significant minority of Chanthaburi citizens are ethnic Vietnamese, who came there in three waves: first in the 19th century during anti-Catholic persecutions in Cochin China; a second wave in the 1920s to 1940s fleeing French Indochina; and a third wave after the communist victory in Vietnam in 1975. The town of Chanthaburi has been the seat of a Bishop of Chanthaburi since 1944.

Chanthaburi once used to be an important source of gemstones, especially rubies and sapphires. While the Chantaboon Waterfront Community was developed over three centuries ago during the reign of King Narai along the banks of the River Mae Nam Chantaburi. It was an essential transportation and trade hub. Over the years, the Chantaboon Waterfront Community had lost its sheen. However, in the recent decade, the locals with the help of Thai officials have contributed to its revival as a major destination for cultural tourism.

Transport: Road Highway 3 (Sukhumvit Road) passes near Chanthaburi and connects to Rayong, Pattaya, Chonburi, and Bangkok to the north-west and Trat to the southeast. Route 317 connects Chanthaburi to Sa Kaeo.

Transport: Air There is no airport in Chanthaburi. The nearest airport is Trat Airport, 66 km from the centre of Chanthaburi.

Health Chanthaburi's main hospital is Prapokklao Hospital, operated by the Ministry of Public Health.