SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the dates for the Bangkok Thailand Temple Open House.
The public is invited to tour the temple and take free guided tours from Sept. 1 through Sept. 16, excluding Sundays. Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Sunday, Oct. 22.
The temple was announced in 2015 and construction began in 2019. The 48,000 square-foot temple sits on nearly two acres in a residential and business area in the heart of Bangkok.
The Church has a long history in Thailand, with the first missionaries traveling there in 1854 when the country was known as Siam. The Bangkok Temple is the church’s 185th temple. It is the third temple in Southeast Asia. The country is home to more than 40 Latter-day Saint congregations. For many years, Church members in Thailand traveled to Hong Kong, Taiwan, or other places to attend the temple.
When The Church builds a new temple, the sacred building is opened for public tours. Anyone can attend this open house, which usually lasts a few weeks. After that, the temple is formally dedicated and is open only to Church members who are actively engaged in the faith.
During an open house, visitors learn more about the purpose of temples and why they are important to Latter-day Saints. The open house experience begins with a short introductory video, and then a volunteer tour guide takes visitors into the temple. Once inside, the guide explains the functions of the main rooms, which may include instruction, marriage, or baptism. The tour guide also gives a brief explanation of the Latter-day Saint belief behind these functions. At the end of the tour, visitors are led to a reception and refreshment area where volunteers are available to answer additional questions.
Temple open houses are free but may sometimes require tickets due to high demand. In addition to the public tours, temple open houses often include tours for neighbors, contractors, construction workers, local media, and invited community and government dignitaries.
There are currently three other open houses being conducted. The Feather River California Temple and McAllen Texas Temple Open House are being held now until Sept. 9 and the Brasilia Brazil Temple Open House is now until Sept. 2.
The dates for the highly anticipated St. George Temple Open House have been posted as Sept. 15 through Nov. 11, though an official announcement has not been sent out as dates could be subject to change. Other open houses for the rest of the year are as follows: Okinawa, Japan Sept. 23 – Oct. 7, Orem, Utah Oct. 27 – December 16, Lima, Peru Nov. 10 – 19.
