A sacred Buddha's tooth relic has been returned to China after being enshrined at Sanam Luang for 73 days to mark the sixth cycle birthday of His Majesty the King.
The relic was on loan from China to commemorate the occasion of the sixth cycle birthday of His Majesty the King last year and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries this year.
The Buddha's tooth relic is enshrined in Lingguang temple in Beijing and was brought to Thailand for people to pay their respects at Sanam Luang from Dec 4 last year.
A formal ceremony on Saturday to return the relic was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, with Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, PM's Office Minister Chousak Sirinil and air force commander ACM Punpakdee Pattanakul, also in attendance.
The event began at 6am with Thai and Chinese Buddhist monks and devotees gathering to pay their respects. A procession departed from Sanam Luang at 7am, heading to Wing 6 at Don Mueang Airport.
At Wing 6, the relic was escorted through a guard of honour before being placed on a 9am flight back to China.
Mr Suriya said the relic's enshrinement shows not only the long-standing bonds between Thailand but also the shared faith and deep-rooted friendship between the two nations.