It’s confirmed! Pope Francis will visit Thailand on Nov 20-23

BANGKOK — Pope Francis will visit Asia in November; Thailand first before Japan. 

According to a Vatican source, the supreme pontiff of the Catholic church will visit Thailand first from November 20 to November 23 before he heads to Japan from November 23 to 26.

Pope Francis is going to be the second pope to visit Thailand after St. John Paul II, who met King Bhumibol Adulyadej on May 10, 1984, during an apostolic visit to Bangkok.

In announcing his Thailand trip, Bangkok Archbishop Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit said the pope’s full itinerary will be announced later.

His visit will coincide with the 350th year anniversary of the presence of the Roman Catholic Church in Thailand. As of 2018, there are 379,975 Catholics in Thailand, a figure that represents 0.46% of the total Thai population of 69 million. There are 11 dioceses with 436 parishes and 662 priests.