Established 26 June 1969 Area 76,562 km² Metropolitan archbishop Kriengsak Kovitvanit | ||
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Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2004)9,015,3806,682 (0.1%) Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangkok | ||
The (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Surat Thani (Dioecesis Suratthanensis, Thai: สังฆมณฑลสุราษฎร์ธานี) in southern Thailand was founded in 1969, when it was split off from the Diocese of Ratchaburi by the papal bull Qui Regno Christi. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Bangkok. The area of Surat Thani was evangelized by the Salesians of Don Bosco in the 1930s.
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The diocese covers an area of 76,562 km², covering all of the southern provinces of Thailand, including Prachuap Khiri Khan as its northernmost province. As of 2001, of the 9 million citizen 6,682 or 0.1% are member of the Catholic Church. The diocese is subdivided into 39 parishes, which are grouped by four regions.
Bishops
Cathedral
The St. Raphael Cathedral (Thai: อาสนวิหารอัครเทวดาราฟาแอล) is located within the town of Surat Thani at 9°9′0″N 99°20′4″E. The church was built in 1962, and became cathedral when the diocese was established in 1969.