Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Catholic Vietnamese fleeing persecution settled in Chanthaburi from the eighteenth century onward, and the community built successive churches here; the present cathedral dates from 1909, in French Gothic style with twin spires, and is the largest Catholic church in Thailand. The spires were removed during the Second World War, when the building's visibility was thought to invite bombing, and were rebuilt in the 2000s. The cathedral's most-discussed object is a statue of the Virgin adorned with a very large quantity of gemstones - Chanthaburi has been a gem trading and cutting centre for generations, and the stones were donated by the local trade, with the figure reported to carry around two hundred thousand of them. Across a footbridge is the Chanthaboon riverside community, a preserved street of wooden shophouses. The province's Catholic community remains substantial and the cathedral is in active use.

What you actually see

• The Gothic cathedral - 1909, twin-spired, the largest in Thailand.
• The gem Madonna - a statue set with stones donated by the local gem trade.
• The Vietnamese origin - the refugee community that built the successive churches.
• The riverside street - the wooden shophouse quarter across the footbridge.

When to go

November to February. It is an active church - services take priority and the interior may be closed during them. An hour covers it, plus the riverside street.

Honest expectations

A working cathedral with services; access varies. Free but donations are requested. Modest dress expected as at any place of worship. The gem statue is behind glass.

Nearby

The Chanthaboon riverside community is across the footbridge; the gem market runs at weekends.