Bishop's Residence,
P.O. Box 103, Udon Thani
41000 Thailand
Phone: (+66) 42-223-255; +66 42-211-449; 211-450
Fax :(+66) 42-241-712
Email:
[email protected];
[email protected]
Bishop Joseph Luechai Thatwisai, the third Bishop of Udon Thani, in northeastern Thailand, was born on Dec. 2, 1962 in Phonsung, in Udon Thani diocese.
In 1983 he entered Saeng Tham College (Lux Mundi, Light of the World), the national major seminary, to study philosophy and theology, and was ordained a priest on May 24, 1990 for Udon Thani diocese.
From 1990 to 1991 he served as assistant parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Ban Phai and manager of Holy Redeemer School, both in Khon Kaen province.
The following year he went back to Saeng Tham College to study foreign languages in preparation for further studies overseas.
From 1993 to 1997 he studied for a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture at Pontificium Institutum Biblicum in Rome, and resided at the Pontifical College of St. Paul the Apostle.
In 1998, he went for pastoral experience at Parish of St. Philip the Apostle in Pasadena, California, the United States.
From 1998 to 2000 he was professor of Biblical Theology at Saeng Tham College.
After that he studied for a Doctorate in Biblical Studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris.
In 2007 he came back to Thailand and served as professor of Biblical Theology at Saeng Tham.
In 2008 he became secretary of the Biblical Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him on Nov. 14, 2009 Bishop of Udon Thani. His episcopal ordination was on Feb. 6, 2010.