page_title: Embassy of Portugal, Bangkok
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Embassy of Portugal, Bangkok / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The main building (now the ambassador's residence) of the Portuguese Legation in Bangkok, 1918. Original caption: Edifício onde está instalada a Legação de Portugal em Banguecoque. Vê-se o jardim, a fachada do edifício e, do lado direito, uma grande gaiola–1918 (Foto do Arquivo Histórico de Macau)
context_page_description: The Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok is the diplomatic mission of Portugal in Thailand. It is located in Bang Rak District, on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River, and is served by Soi Charoen Krung 30. Dating to 1820, with the ambassador's residence built in 1860, it is the oldest diplomatic mission in Thailand, and the ambassador's residence has been recognized as an award-winning historic building. The current Ambassador is Mr. Francisco Patto.
context_section_description: Portugal was the first European nation to come into contact with Siam in the 16th century, during the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The Portuguese were granted land near the capital, and a sizeable community settled in Siam. Following the Fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 and the subsequent establishment of Thonburi and Rattanakosin as Siam's successor kingdoms, the Portuguese resettled in the new capitals, in the area of today's Bangkok.
  In 1786, as thanks for Portugal's assistance in the Nine Armies' War against the Burmese, King Rama I granted a piece of land to Portugal, which would be used for the establishment of the Holy Rosary Church. The King also promised land for a factory (trading post), should the Portuguese wish to establish one. This was realised in 1820, during the reign of King Rama II. A piece of land on the river, not far from the church, was granted to the Portuguese Consul-General, Carlos Manoel da Silveira. The land, 72 wa (fathoms) along the waterfront and 50 wa wide, with two shipyards, had been the former residence of the Vietnamese Emperor Gia Long during his time in exile in Siam.
  The original building, of bamboo and wood, was replaced by a masonry structure, the construction of which began in 1860. Plans were made for materials to be shipped in from Goa, but the ship was wrecked during the journey and local materials had to be used instead. Interruptions and delays led to construction being suspended in 1867. By 1875, the unfinished structure had deteriorated, and the consulate hired Italian-Austrian architect Joachim Grassi to rebuild it within a time frame of five months. The construction cost 10,000 Mexican dollars. The building was inaugurated by Consul Antonio Feliciano Marques Pereira, and has since served as the residence of the consul, and later of the ambassador, following the consulate's elevation to embassy status. By this time, Charoen Krung Road had been built, and the embassy would come to be served by the side-street known as Captain Bush Lane. Other foreign missions, including those of Britain and France, would also be established nearby, and the area became a centre of the European expatriate community during the turn of the 19th–20th centuries.
caption: The legation in 1918
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