The Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok, conducted
on very rare occasions, is a spectacular royal
armada on the Chao Phraya River. This procession
is normally conducted on the following occasions:
- When the King ascends the throne.
- When the King goes down the Chao Phraya to
present robes to the monks during the Royal
Krathin Ceremony after the Buddhist Lent in
October.
- When the King goes to Saraburi to pay homage
to the Buddha's footprint.
- When Bangkok receives important Buddha
images from other cities.
- When receiving foreign diplomatic
dignitaries to Bangkok.
Some of the memorable Royal Barge
Processions during the reign of King Rama IX,
the present King, were:
- On 14 May 1957, to commemorate the 25th
century of the Buddhist era.
- On 06 Apr 1982, to commemorate 200 years
of the Bangkok era on the Bangkok
Bicentennial.
- On 05 Dec 1999, to celebrate the 72nd
birthday of King Rama IX.
The most recent Royal Barge Procession
was on 20 Oct 2003 for the closing
ceremony of the APEC Conference in
Bangkok, in honor of the visiting heads of
state.
This procession was special as this was
the first time it took place at night,
amid special light and sound effects for
the stretch of the river fronting the
VIP's. The guests were seated in the Royal
Thai Navy Institute across the Chao Phraya
River from the Grand Palace.
At 2000 hours, 50 barges consisting of the
Suphannahong, the Narai Song Suban King
Rama IX and escort barges were launched
from the Wasukri Pier upriver.
This flotilla of royal barges, when fully
deployed in a sailing formation of five
columns abreast and 90 m wide, stretched
1.5 km along the Chao Phraya.
Concurrently at the Royal Thai Navy
Institute, a 10-minute sight and sound
presentation in six languages was made on
the history and tradition of the royal
barges.
The presentation was timed to end as the
Royal Barge Procession sailed into view,
on waters apparently lit with gold, as a
curtain of mist fell over the river,
creating an ethereal air.
Two thousand men of the Royal Thai Navy in
ancient ceremonial uniforms rowed
steadfastly by in perfect unison, honed
through months of intense practice. Their
chants of the ancient boat song, that
dates back to the days of King Narai of
Ayutthaya, drifted across the river.
Just then, the night erupted as fireworks
burst, filling the sky with the brilliant
national colors of the participating
nations. The lights cascaded down
illuminating the Royal Barge Procession as
it streamed past the Grand Palace, a
splendid finish to a grand event.
The royal barges can be viewed at the
Royal Barge Museum, Bangkok.
About the Author
This article by Eric Lim first
appeared in
Tour Bangkok Legacies, a historical
travel site on people, places and events
that shaped the landscape of Bangkok. Lim,
a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok,
Thailand.
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