UBON, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE OF. - On 7 May 1953, the apostolic vicariate of Tharé (q.v.) in Thailand was divided with the erection of two independent ecclesiastical circumscriptions, namely the apostolic vicariate of U. and the apostolic prefecture of Udonthani (q.v.).
It was so named from the city where the Ordinary resides, which is a convenient centre, being the fourth city of Thailand, and has a flourishing Christianity. It comprises eight civil departments: Maharakham, Roiet, Surin, Sisaket, U., Kaiyaphum, Bu-riram, Khorat, with a total area of 87,000 sq. km. and a population of 4,020,058. The number of Catholics is about 10,905. The new vicariate has been entrusted to the Paris Foreign Missions Society, while the remaining vicariate of Tharé has been transferred to the Siamese secular clergy.