Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tory (French, Vietnamese and Chinese), the so-called 'City of the Moon' is surprisingly
diverse for a regional Thai town. It's well worth visiting for an appreciation of the eco-
nomic and religious sanctuary Thailand has long provided in the region.
The old city (also known as the Chantaboon Waterfront Community) is the best place to
chart the course of immigration and international involvement in the city. The Vietnamese
began arriving in the 19th century when Christian refugees escaped religious and political
persecution in Cochin China (southern Vietnam). A second wave of Vietnamese refugees
followed in the 1920s and 1940s, fleeing French rule, and a third arrived after the 1975
communist takeover of southern Vietnam. The French occupied Chanthaburi from 1893 to
1905, a consequence of a dispute over the border between Siam and Indochina.
