PATTAYA (Thailand), December 20 (RIA Novosti) - Archbishop Hilarion of Volokolamsk, who leads the Russian Orthodox Church's external church relations department, consecrated on Sunday a new church in the resort town of Pattaya in Thailand.

The church, dedicated to All Saints, was recently built in Pattaya on donations from parishioners.

"The church that opened today in the town of Pattaya will be a center of Russian Orthodoxy in Thailand and will bring spiritual assistance to hundreds and thousands of people," Hilarion said after a divine service he led together with Archimandrite Oleg, the senior priest of the St. Nicholas church in Bangkok.

Hilarion is on a visit to the Southeast Asian country on the occasion of the tenth anniversary since the Russian Orthodox Church established its community there.

"The tenth anniversary of Orthodoxy in Thailand is a remarkable event in the church's life... Today Thailand has an active, full-fledged Orthodox community," he said.

Now Thailand has two Orthodox churches. The St. Nicholas church in the capital Bangkok was built in 1999. A third church is being built on Phuket Island.

Up to 15,000 Russians own real property or rent apartments and houses in Pattaya, and some 5,000 permanently live in the town. A total of 300,000-500,000 Russian-speaking tourists visit Thailand annually.

More than 90% of Thai nationals are Buddhists. Close to 5% are Muslims, whereas Christians, mainly Catholics, account for less than 1% of the country's population.