The Thai royal family held a traditional water procession on the 27th, marking the event's return after a five-year hiatus.
The grand Thai royal barge procession took place on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok to celebrate King Rama X's 72nd birthday. The King and Queen rode the royal barge to Wat Arun in Bangkok, offering robes to monks and participating in a religious ceremony.
This is the second royal barge procession during King Vajiralongkorn's reign, the first having been held on December 12, 2019, to celebrate his coronation.
The King and Queen rode the royal barge to Wat Arun.
This year's event featured 52 barges in five fleets, with 2,200 crew members. The barges sailed along the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), forming a spectacular array 1.2 kilometers long and 90 meters wide.
The royal barge procession has been an important ceremony for Siamese kings since the Ayutthaya Kingdom and has continued into the Chakri dynasty. Although it was interrupted in the 1930s, it was revived during the reign of King Rama IX in the 1950s.
This water celebration showcased the solemnity and splendor of the Thai royal family, attracting numerous Thais and foreign tourists to the riverbanks to watch.
This year's event featured 52 barges.