Chanthaburi, situated 245 km from Bangkok, is a major gem-trading and fruit-growing centre located in the fertile plain of the Chanthaburi River between the southeast uplands and the sea. On the east bank of the Chanthaburi River is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Thailand, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, built by Vietnamese refugees from 1898 on the site of an earlier mission church. In the early history, Chanthaburi seems to have been one of the outposts of Angkor Empire as early as the 10th century and there are some of Khmer-style stone artefacts found in the vicinity. By the end of the 14th century Chanthaburi had been incorporated in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. After the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, the governor of Chanthaburi rebelled against Phya Tak, the commander of Siamese forces, who later established his court in Thonburi.

In 1893, after the Pak Nam incident, where French gunboats forced the defences at Pak Nam (Samut Prakan) at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River and sailed up the river to Bangkok, the French occupied the two Thai seaboard provinces that bordered Cambodia (Chanthaburi and Trat). Today, there are two French buildings remaining from the time of the French occupation, at Laem Sing district. Chanthaburi has very good hotels, a fine museum, interesting temples, and good restaurants; the surrounding mountains add much charm to the luxuriant gardens in the vicinity.

On Saturday 15 to Sunday 16 February 2020, The Siam Society is arranging a Study Trip for members to visit some sites of interest in Chanthaburi Province. The group will leave The Siam Society by bus on Saturday 15 February at 7.30am and we expect to return to The Siam Society on Sunday at 8pm