Main photo: First full-dress rehearsal on October 15
The full and final dress rehearsal for the Royal Barge procession along the Chao Phraya River will be performed this Tuesday, ahead of the actual procession on Sunday.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says the public can watch the rehearsal from five ideal viewing locations, namely:
- Under the Rama VIII Bridge (Thonburi side): 4,000 seats
- Santi Chai Prakan Park: 1,500 seats
- Thammasat University, Tha Phra Chan Campus: 1,130 seats
- 72nd Anniversary Park: 1,100 seats
- Siriraj Hospital: 100 seats
- Along the riverside walkway.
The Royal Barge procession on October 27 is part of the celebrations for HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 72nd birthday this year, which was on July 28.
On Sunday, their Majesties the King and the Queen take the royal barge to present Kathin robes to Buddhist monks at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) in Bangkok.
This procession will be the second in the present reign. The first took place on December 12, 2019, in honour of the Coronation of HM the King.
The Royal Barge Procession has been a regular and important event for Kings of Siam since the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767) and has continued during the Chakri dynasty (1782-present).
The ceremony was not held during the 1930s, but was restored in the 1950s, during the reign of King Rama IX.
This floating ceremonial procession is a rare spectacle, reserved for special occasions.
Boat songs will be chanted during the procession. This time there will be five verses, or chapters, composed by Rear Admiral Thongyoi Sangsinchai, a retired naval officer.
The flotilla will comprise 52 barges, including four major royal barges – the Suphannahong, the Narai Song Suban, the Anantanakkharat and the Anekkachatphutchong.
There will be 2,200 oarsmen powering these vessels along the Chao Phraya River, from the Wasukri Pier to Wat Arun, in a 1.2-kilometre-long and 90-metre-wide formation.
Gallery: First full-dress rehearsal on October 15
More photos on Facebook: Thai PBS World
