Santa Cruz Church

A historic legacy of Portuguese-Siamese relations, Santa Cruz Church still stands proudly to this day. 500 years ago, Portugal signed a treaty with the Kingdom of Ayutthaya leading to centuries of friendship and was given land to build its communities. In Thonburi, the Santa Cruz Church was erected for the Portuguese Catholics and its Chinese-influenced architecture led the locals to nickname it “Kudi Jeen”, meaning “Chinese church”. If you visit the church be sure to explore the winding alleyways around “Kudi Jeen” where you will find “Khanom Farang Kudi Jeen”, a Portuguese-influenced sweet baked pastry enjoyed by many Thais