Royal barge procession completes King's coronation

Royal barge procession completes King's coronation

The Royal Barge Suphannahong, carrying Their Majesties the King and the Queen, and His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, graces the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
The Royal Barge Suphannahong, carrying Their Majesties the King and the Queen, and His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, graces the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

A spectacular royal barge procession on the Chao Phraya River for His Majesty the King marked the completion of the royal coronation ceremony on Thursday.

HM the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, started the procession at Wasukri pier. They disembarked at Ratchaworadit pier and proceeded to the Grand Palace.

Their Majesties travelled on the Suphannahong, considered the most gracious and beautiful barge. 

The procession involved 52 ceremonial barges with 2,200 oarsmen, and travelled for 3.4 kilometres. Yellow-clad spectrators crowded the banks of the Chao Phraya River hours before the event began in a show of loyalty to the King and Queen.

The procession of barges was about 1,200 metres long, and 90 metres in width.

Monks at six temples along the river began chanting ceremonies for Their Majesties as the procession approached them.

Officials estimated 10,700 spectators flocked to six official viewing locations on the river banks, and millions more watched the live broadcast of the ceremony at home and abroad.

Well-wishers also converged outside the Grand Palace, hoping to get a glimpse of Their Majesties after they alighted at Ratchawordit pier.

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