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Thailand to Hold
Majestic Royal Barge Procession on 9 November 2012
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Bangkok
:
Global travellers seeking to add another masterpiece event their list of
lifetime experiences should pencil 9 November 2012 into their calendars
and be in Bangkok to watch the majestic Royal Barge Procession along the
Chao Phraya river, The River of Kings.
One of
the grandest spectacles in Thailand and indeed, the world, the Royal
Barge Procession is an ancient tradition that was revived by His Majesty
King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1959. This breathtaking water-borne procession
is reserved for nationally auspicious occasions and has been held only 16
times during His Majesty’s reign.
The
main procession will be held between 15.00-16.00 hrs. on 9 November but
full dress rehearsals by the Royal Thai Navy will also be held on 2
November and 6 November at 1500. Tickets are available at the website
listed below for those wishing to watch the Procession in comfort from
the Royal Thai Navy pavilion. Alternately, the Procession can be viewed
from various public spots along the river.
King
Bhumibol, the ninth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, founded in 1782, is
the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history, and has since 1989 been the
world’s longest reigning incumbent monarch.
The
Procession, which this year will commemorate the auspicious occasion of
HM the King’s 85th birthday on 5 December 2012, involves barges carrying
the deeply revered Buddha image (Phra Buddha Sihing) and members of the
royal family to present offerings of saffron kathin robes, food and other
necessities to the monks at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).
Truly a
sight to behold, the procession consists of a flotilla of 52
traditional-style barges arranged in five columns, based on a battle
formation from ancient times. This is made up of four major royal barges
— Suphannahongse, Narai Song Suban H.M. King Rama IX, Anantanagaraj and
Anekchatbhuchongse, ten barges with animal figureheads and 38 smaller
vessels. The five-column flotilla stretches 1,280 metres in length and
110 across. A total of 2,200 sailors from various units within the Royal
Thai Navy will serve as oarsmen.
The
procession takes approximately 55 minutes to make the 4.5 kilometre
journey down the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun, covering the section from
Thonburi Bridge to Phra Phutta Yodfa Bridge. The official ceremony is
expected to end at approximately 5.30 pm.
The
royal barges of Thailand are the last of their kind in the world. The
last time that a royal barge procession was organized was on 12 June 2006
for the diamond jubilee celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of HM
King Bhumibol’s accession to the throne.
This
year, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will preside
over the Royal Barge Procession and Royal Kathin ceremony at Wat Arun on
behalf of His Majesty the King.
Date
of Dress Rehearsals: November 2 and 6, 2012
Date
of the Royal Kathin Ceremony and Royal Barge Procession: November 9,
2012
Place: Tassana Pirom
Yard, Naval Assembly, Royal Thai Navy, Bangkok
Price
of Ticket:
1500 baht / seat
How
to get the ticket:
1. Tel:
+66 2970 2544 to 5
2. www.welovebooking.com
The
Royal Barge Procession Program
15:00
Hrs: The Royal Barges will be moored at the Vasukri Royal Landing Pier.
15:10
Hrs: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will preside
over the Royal Barge Procession and Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun on
behalf of His Majesty the King. The Crown Prince will board the Royal
Barge Suphannahong at the Vasukri Royal Landing Pier.
15:40
Hrs: The Royal Barge Procession will pass Royal Thai Navy Convention
Hall.
16:00
Hrs: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will present
Kathin robes to monks at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).
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Copyright Tourism Authority of Thailand. All
Rights Reserved.
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