Diocese of Ratchaburi
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Diocese of Ratchaburi Dioecesis Ratchaburensis สังฆมณฑลราชบุรี |
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| Location | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Ecclesiastical province | Bangkok |
| Metropolitan | Bangkok |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 31,362 km2 (12,109 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2004) 2,327,381 15,730 (0.7%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Nativity of Our Lady in Amphoe Bang Khonthi |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | John Bosco Panya Kritcharoen |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Kriengsak Kovitvanit |
| Map | |
 Location of the Diocese of Ratchaburi |
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The (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Ratchaburi (Dioecesis Ratchaburensis, Thai: สังฆมณฑลราชบุรี) is a Latin suffragan diocese of the archdiocese of Bangkok located in western central Thailand.
The diocese covers an area of 31,362 square kilometres (12,109 sq mi), covering four of the western provinces of Thailand - Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Kanchanaburi and Samut Songkhram. As of 2001, of the 2.2 million citizen 15,246 are member of the Catholic Church. It is divided into 17 parishes, having 71 priests altogether.
While the cathedral episcopal see dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady is located at Bang Nok Khwaek, the diocesan center is located within the town of Ratchaburi.
The diocese dates back to 30 June 1930, when the Mission sui iuris of Rajaburi was created, originally responsible for all the south and west of Thailand, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Bangkok (now its Metropolitan. It was run by the Salesian order, who came there in 1927 and supplied the missionary Ordinaries. The 18 missionary took over a mission previously run by the Paris Foreign Missionaries.
On 28 May 1934 it was elevated to Apostolic Prefecture of Rajaburi, on 3 March 1941 to Apostolic Vicariate of Rajaburi, hence entitle to a titular bishop.
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