Ban Kuti Jihn Museum

Museum in Thonburi, named after the community in which it is located (fig.) and which in turn is named after the epithet given to the Santa Cruz Church in 1835, after the original church made of wood (fig.) was rebuilt in a design resembling Chinese edifices called Keng (fig.), and which was subsequently nicknamed Kuti Jihn (กุฎีจีน), i.e. ‘Chinese dwelling’. The small family-run museum is housed in a building that used to be the home of a Catholic family in the Kuti Jhin Community and has a cosy garden, a coffeeshop and a souvenir shop, and is dedicated to the history, culture and traditions of this old Portuguese-Thai community, especially the historical events in the period immediately after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, i.e. the battle by General Taksin that drove the Burmese out of Siam, his instatement as the new King, and the establishment of Thonburi as the new Siamese capital. Earlier, in 1516, Portugal had signed a treaty with Ayutthaya to supply firearms and ammunition. With this treaty came the rights for the Portuguese to reside, trade and practice their religion in the Kingdom. In recognition of their support against the Burmese in the form of supply of cannons and muskets, as well as Portuguese mercenaries, King Taksin (fig.) on 14 September 1769 granted the Portuguese a plot of land near his royal residence, now known as the Thonburi Palace (fig.), in order to build a church, in the area today known as Kuti Jihn. In Thai, the museum is known as Phiphithaphan Ban Kuti Jihn and in English its name is also transcribed Baan Kudichin Museum. WATCH VIDEO. 回