BANGKOK: Thousands of well-wishers lined the banks of Bangkok's Chao Phraya River on Sunday to watch King Maha Vajiralongkorn ride a glittering royal barge procession to mark his 72nd birthday. A flotilla of 52 ornately decorated boats, paddled by more than 2,000 oarsmen decked out in scarlet and gold, carried the king and Queen Suthida in formation through the heart of the Thai capital to a Buddhist ceremony at Wat Arun, the city's ancient Temple of Dawn.
Royal barge processions date back hundreds of years, but are held rarely, saved for the most significant occasions — most recently, the king's coronation in 2019. During the 70-year reign of the previous king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, only 16 barge processions were held. King Vajiralongkorn turned 72 in July, completing his "sixth cycle" in the 12-year astrological calendar — a milestone regarded by Thais as important and auspicious. Normally the intricately ornamented barges are kept in a museum. — AFP
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