King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was rowed down a river aboard a golden royal barge in a procession of 52 boats as crowds of thousands gathered on the banks to watch the final ritual of his coronation in Bangkok.
The barge procession marks the monarch’s last journey in his ascent to the throne after King Vajiralongkorn, also known as King Rama X, was officially crowned in May in a three-day ceremony filled with ancient Brahmin and Buddhist rituals.
As part of a near seven-century-old tradition, the king’s vessel ‘Suphannahong’ was positioned in the centre of a procession of 52 gold-painted barges, elaborately carved in the shape of swans and mythical creatures.
Some 2,200 oarsmen dressed in ceremonial costume as they rowed the wooden vessels along the two-mile route, keeping in time with the help of chants.
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn is transported on the royal palanquin by royal bearers during the Royal Procession outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok
The king was accompanied by Queen Suthida (middle) and his son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (right) aboard the Royal Barge
The Royal Barge ‘Suphannahong’ (seen top), meaning Golden Swan, carries the king and queen of Thailand aboard during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony
The king was accompanied by Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana and his 14-year-old son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, on one barge, while his two daughters were on another.
As the vessels glided over the Chao Phraya River, hundreds of Thais dressed in yellow watched on with reverence.
‘I am a Thai and I want to attend this ceremony so I can tell my children about how great our country is,’ said Sudarat Sangyuthanan, a 55-year-old woman.
Devotion to the monarch is an ingrained part of Thai culture, as the king is considered by many to be a living-god.
The king’s two daughters followed behind the elaborate ‘Suphannahong’, meaning Golden Swan, on a second royal barge
Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana take part in a royal barge river procession along the Chao Praya river
Some 2,200 oarsmen dressed in ceremonial costume as they rowed the wooden vessels along the two-mile route, keeping in time with the help of chants
Oarsmen in ceremonial costumes paddle during the Royal Barge Procession on the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, Thailand
Men in orange, black and red ceremonial dress steer one of 52 barges along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok today
Thousands of oarsmen took part in the procession, chanting as they steered the boat to stay in time with each other
Thai oarsmen in traditional costume row during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony
Two men dressed in jade green and gold costume stand aboard a boat painted with an intricate floral pattern on Thursday
The procession involved 52 elaborately decorated barges, with the king’s boat ‘Suphannahong’ at the centre of them all
‘The king has just been crowned and I want to show him that we, the Thai people, are with him and are supporting him all the way, so the country can progress in the way our forefathers have wanted to build it,’ said 64-year-old Patipan Mahantanathibodi.
The monarchy’s bond with the people was strengthened during Vajiralongkorn’s father’s 70-year reign.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej was widely loved and regarded as a pillar of stability during decades of political turbulence and rapid development in Thailand.
Though King Bhumibol forewent the barge ceremony at his own coronation, he revived their use to enhance the spectacle of major religious ceremonies, notably the celebration of the 2,500-year-old Buddhist era in 1957.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn is carried on a sedan-chair after taking part in the Royal Barge procession near the Grand Palace
The barge procession marks the monarch’s last journey in his ascent to the throne after King Vajiralongkorn, also known as King Rama X, was officially crowned in May in a three-day ceremony
Soldiers march during the road procession, after the Royal Barge procession in the Chao Phraya River near the Grand Palace
A marching band in ceremonial dress takes centre stage during the road procession after the earlier royal barge event
Devotion to the monarch is an ingrained part of Thai culture, as the king is considered by many to be a living-god
Spectators watch the Royal Barge procession on the Chao Praya River, in Bangkok on Thursday in the final event of the king’s coronation
‘In the past when there were no television or modern communication, so a ceremony like this allows members of the public to see the new king after he was crowned,’ Tongthong Chandransu, an expert on royal protocol said.
‘The last time we had such a ceremony was almost a century ago,’ he said.
The last barge procession for a coronation was in 1925, when King Prajadhipok, Thailand’s last absolute monarch, ascended the throne.
A girl holds up a picture of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida outside the Grand Palace in the capital
Hundreds of supporters watch a giant screen showing Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his son Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti arriving for the Royal Barge procession
Well-wishers hold pictures of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida outside the Grand Palace as they wait for the royal couple to arrive
The last barge procession for a coronation was in 1925, when King Prajadhipok, Thailand’s last absolute monarch, ascended the throne