The initial period of the formation of the Representation is connected with its support of Samanchit Thamavit, the owner of considerable real estate in the most prestigious area of Bangkok located in close proximity to the residence of the King. Significant restrictions are imposed on private property for foreigners in Thailand; provision by Samanid Thamavit to St. Nicholas parish land, on which two residential buildings were located, allowed initially to place in one of them the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.11
11 Oleg (Cherepanin), the Abbot, the mentioned work, p.170-171.
Over time, the fact that the temple is located in a rented room has brought some problems. The Archimandrite Oleg (Cherepanin) noted in 2012: “Bangkok is the first place where the preaching of Orthodoxy began and our Church started to grow. Fourteen years ago the St. Nicholas parish was founded, which was located in a rented building, because we hadn`t the state registration and had to use the right of private property, renting premises by local citizens. And when we began to build temples in Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, the donor of these constructions was the Bangkok parish of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It so happened that “the shoemaker is without shoes” – today we have temples in Pattaya, Phuket and in other places of Thailand, but Bangkok is still a very small rented place. It does not correspond to the status of our Church in the country and the demands of the community, because it has increased in recent years. In addition, due to illness of the owner of the property, the rights of our leased premises passed to her niece. But she was not so scrupulous in respect of the leased agreements, as her aunt and the rent for the house began to rise sharply and often enough. Therefore, despite in the fact that we have not finished the construction of temples on Samui and Pattaya, it was decided to begin the construction of the temple in Bangkok and to buy the land.
The total sum amounted more than a million dollars, but I think that thanks to the intercession and prayer by Saint Nicholas, to whom we turn in our prayers, the required amount has been collected for four months. On the first of January we began fundraising in Bangkok, and in May, we purchased the land for 600 thousand dollars. Today the construction of the temple has already begun, and on the 20th of December we, using the unique opportunity of staying in Thailand ark with the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, made in the presence of his venerable relics the foundation of a new temple in the name of the Saint.
