Kriengsak Kovitvanit

Who is Kriengsak Kovitvanit?

Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit is Archbishop of Bangkok.

Born in Ban Rak, he entered the St Joseph's Minor Seminary in Sampran. From 1970 to 1976 he studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, and was ordained as priest on 11 July 1976. At first he was assistant priest at the Nativity of Mary Church in Ban Pan, and then at the Epiphany Church Koh Vai. In 1979-1981 he served as vice-rector of St Joseph's Minor Seminary in Sampran. He went to the Gregorian University in Rome from 1982 till 1983 to specialize in spirituality. From 1983 to 1989 he was rector of the Holy Family Intermediate Seminary in Nakhon Ratchasima, and then till 1993 under-secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand, as well as rector of Lux Mundi National Major Seminary in Sampran since 1992. In 2000 he became parish priest at the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hua Take, and also since 2001 a special lecturer at Sampran major seminary. From 2003 until his appointment as bishop, he was parish priest of the Assumption Cathedral and secretary of the council of priests of the Archdiocese of Bangkok.