The Royal Barge Procession in June 2006, Bangkok, Thailand

May 8th, 2006

If you happen to be staying in any hotel in Bangkok in June - do not miss to witness one of Thailand’s most spectacular royal events - The Royal Barge Procession - to commemorate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty The King’s accession to the throne.

His Majesty is already the world’s longest reigning monarch, and the Royal Barge Procession along the Chao Phraya River will be one of the series of dazzling events and celebrations to be held this year to honour the life and times of His Majesty The King.

The Royal Barge Procession will take place on June 12 2006 at 7.30 p.m. The procession will sail from Wasukri Royal Pier to the Temple of Dawn. His Majesty The King will preside over the performance along the Head of States from 29 nations.

The procession will comprise of 52 barges; 4 royal barges: Suphannahongse, Anantanagaraj, Narai Songsuban and Anekchatbhuchongse. Crew of all barges were drawn from various departments of the Royal Thai Navy. The barges Suphannahongse, Anantanagaraj and Anekchatbhuchong are each manned by 50 oarsmen, 2 helmsmen, 2 officers and 1 flagman. The silver and gold paddles are raised high in unison at the end of each stroke, regulated by a rhythm keeper who taps the butt of his silver spear on the deck in time with the chanting of boat songs.

Tourism Authority of Thailand has provided viewpoints for interested visitors as follows:

1). Bank of Thailand riverside lawn. Before the main event on June 12, there will be 3 rehearsal on June 02, 06 and 09. All are available for public viewing. This is the only good place to clearly view the starting point of the procession in natural light without light and sound. Refreshments will be served. Entrance fee is THB 1,000 per person.

2). Riverside III Cruise. The rehearsals will be held on June 02, 06 and 09 2006. Visitors on board the cruise ship will dock alongside the Chao Phraya River to enjoy the light and sound show of the procession. Cocktails and drinks will be served. Ticket price is THB 3,000 per person.

For more details, check out from:

http://www.60thcelebrations.com/en and http://www.tatnews.org/

Entry Filed under: Thailand Destination