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CHURCH MILESTONES IN THAILAND

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• A.D. 1238 - Sukothai, first Thai kingdom established.
• 1782 - Sukothai renamed Siam.
• 6 Apr. 1854 - First missionary Elder Elam Luddington, arrives in Bangkok.
• 1939 - Siam renamed Thailand, or Muang Thai in the language, which means Land of the Free."
• 27 Mar. 1966 - Thailand District organized to meet the needs of American servicemen.
• 2 Nov. 1966 - Elder Gordon B. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Twelve dedicates Thailand.

• 2 Feb. 1968 - President Keith E. Garner of the Southern Far East Mission leads the first six missionaries (shown above) to serve in Thailand. Top row: Craig G. Christensen, Larry R. White, Peter W. Basker; bottom row: Alan H. Hessw Robert W. Winegar, L. Carl Hansen.
• 30 Nov. 1968 - Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve visits the king of Thailand.
• Nov. 1969 - Thailand becomes part of the Southeast Asian Mission.
• 28 June 1973 - Thailand Bangkok Mission created.
• Aug. 1974 - First chapel dedicated in Bangkok.
• Dec. 1974 - Thailand has 300 members and 50 full time missionaries serving in nine branches.
• 1976 - Book of Mormon published in the Thai language. 170 missionaries serve in more than twenty branches. (A quota on North American missionaries has reduced the number to 100 at present.)
• 1985 - The government rules that missionanes have to leave the country every ninety days to extend their visas.
• 1988 - Anan Eldredge becomes the first Thai mission president of the Thailand Bangkok Mission.
• 1990 - First Thai excursion to the Manila Philippines Temple.
• July 1991 - Larry R. White, one of the onginal six missionaries to Thailand becomes president of the Thailand Bangkok Mission.
• 7 June 1992 - Elders Neal A. Maxwell and Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve bestow apostolic blessings on the country.
• Sept. 1992 - The requirement that missionaries leave Thailand every ninety days to renew their visas is rescinded.
• July 1994 - Troy L. Corriveau, who was the tenth missionary called to Thailand and a member of the first Book of Mormon translating comrnittee, becomes new president of Thailand Bangkok Mission.
• 18 June 1995 - Bangkok Thailand Stake organized--the first stake in Thailand.