Photo courtesy of VOA News

It has been called one of the most spectacular sights in Asia. Visitors to Bangkok will have some rare chances to witness the beauty and pageantry of Thailand’s royal barges during rehearsals for a long-awaited Grand Procession on the Chao Phraya River in October.

The magnificent Grand Procession will be held on October 27 at the end of the monsoon season to celebrate the 72nd birth year of King Vajiralongkorn, the tenth monarch of the Chakri Dynasty. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, and a 72nd birthday is considered particularly momentous in Buddhism.

Visitors will have multiple opportunities to witness the rehearsals from July through October. Early rehearsals will involve a limited number of barges, while later ones will see all 52 vessels in the fleet assemble on the Chao Phraya River, the River of Kings.

The dazzling, ornate and gilded boats, some adorned with intricately carved states, pavilions and other features, contain both religious and royal symbols and significance.

The building of the current fleet began with the founding of the Chakri Dynasty in 1782, when Bangkok became the capital. New barges have been built in each rein. The previous monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, used a computer to design the most recently built barge.

But the ceremony dates to even earlier times. French historian Francois Henri Turpin witnessed a Grand Procession in 1770.

“It is impossible to compare the beauty of the immense procession. All oarsmen have been trained to an admirable proficiency, dressed uniformly in gold-trimmed hats, tunics, knee and armbands. All rowing in synchronized movement and rhythm. The oars, also of gold, touch the water with a sound that harmonizes with the boat song sung in praise of the King,” Turpin wrote.

Little if anything about the ceremony has changed since those times. Virtually everyone fortunate enough to witness the full flotilla has responded with awe.

Although the Grand Procession only occurs on special occasions, visitors can always see the eight most important barges up close at the Royal Barge Museum, where they are docked.

Rehearsals of various sizes for the grand procession will take place from July 15 to July 19, July 23 to July 26, August 1, 8, 15, 22, September 3, 12, 19, 26, and October 1 and 10. Two major rehearsals will be held on October 15 and 22, and a final rehearsal on October 24.

The rehearsals can be viewed from the banks of the Chao Phraya River. For more details, see: https://www.tatnews.org/