The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the dedication and open house dates for the Bangkok Thailand Temple, not only the first temple dedicated in Thailand but the first for mainland Southeast Asia.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside and dedicate the temple in two sessions — at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. — on Sunday, Oct. 22. The dedicatory sessions will be broadcast to all units in the Bangkok Thailand Temple district.
The public open house will run from Friday, Sept. 1, through Saturday, Sept. 16, excluding Sundays. Prior to the open house, a media day will be Monday, Aug. 28, with invited guests touring from Tuesday, Aug. 29, through Thursday, Aug. 31.
The announcement of the dedication and open house was published Monday, March 27, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The First Presidency also announced the groundbreaking dates for three new temples and released the rendering for the Cody Wyoming Temple.
Additional details regarding the temple dedication and open house will be announced locally as the event approaches.
The late President Thomas S. Monson announced a temple for Bangkok, Thailand, during April 2015 general conference.
Construction began in early 2019 following a Jan. 26, 2019, groundbreaking ceremony.
President Russell M. Nelson and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited Bangkok, including the future temple site, in April 2018 as part of President Nelson’s inaugural worldwide ministry.
President Nelson said the Latter-day Saints of Thailand will not be passive.
“These people are energized. They are inspired. They want to do something about their faith,” he said. “They are going to get ready for their temple.”
The 44,405-square-foot, six-story temple featuring multiple spires is at 1645/6 New Phetchburi Road Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Thailand. Additionally, a 91,370-square-foot building will feature two meetinghouses, seminary and institute facilities, Church offices and patron housing.
The temple has been built in front of the Makkasan transit station linked with Bangkok Airport Rail Link, allowing access for travelers coming from the Suvarnabhumi Airport. The temple site was previously home to a Church office building, used for the Bangkok Thailand Mission, the Bangkok Service Center, the Bangkok Thailand Perpetual Education Fund Self Reliance Center and other Church entities.
The first Latter-day Saint missionary arrived in Thailand in 1854, but more than a century passed before missionary work began in earnest in the 1960s and the first meetinghouse was dedicated in 1974.
Known as the “Land of Smiles,” Thailand today is home to more than 23,000 Latter-day Saints in 40 congregations. The Bangkok temple will serve Latter-day Saints in Thailand and nearby countries. Currently, the closest operating temple for Church members in Thailand is the Hong Kong Temple.