Dr. Jes, Rakchat Party's prime ministerial candidate, performed a sword dance offering to honor the spirits of Bang Rachan heroes, while Chaiwat reminded and inspired patriotism.
On 30 January 2026 at 07:30 GMT+7, Mr. Chaiwat Thanakmanusorn, party leader and prime ministerial candidate of the Rakchat Party, together with Associate Professor Dr. Jes Tonawanik, also a prime ministerial candidate, led the Rakchat Party delegation including Mr. Chanin Pinthong, party director (list no. 3), Mr. Chaiporn Jirawinitnan, party spokesperson (list no. 4), Mr. Thrat Pojanapraphan, deputy party leader (list no. 8), Mr. Thitipan Keyanon, party secretary, and Ms. Ratsarin Kanthnithiwong, party list MP candidate, to attend the 2026 annual spirit worship ceremony for the Bang Rachan heroes at the Dharma ground of Wat Pho Kao Ton near the sacred pond in Singburi Province. The event was held collectively to honor the virtues and sacrifices of the past heroes.
The event began at 07:30 GMT+7 with a dignified procession from the Bang Rachan heroes monument towards the Dharma ground at Wat Pho Kao Ton. Mr. Waradisorn Onnuch, Governor of Singburi Province, honored the ceremony as the presiding official, leading attendees including the Rakchat Party delegation to conduct incense and candle offerings, gold leaf application, and flower garland tributes to Luang Pu Phra Ajarn Thamchoti at his shrine (the Red Brick Shrine).
At 09:09 GMT+7, Associate Professor Dr. Jes Tonawanik bowed to the ground, focusing his mind to honor the spirits of the Bang Rachan heroes before commencing a sword dance as an offering. His dance used battle movements, beginning with paying respect to his teachers, then worshiping the ten directional deities and the Four-Faced Deity, followed by a sequence preparing weapons, battle charges, unarmed combat techniques, tactical maneuvers, and paying homage to heaven and earth, concluding the combat sequence.
The worship ceremony followed, during which Mr. Chaiwat Thanakmanusorn, Rakchat Party leader, lit a sacred candle and asked for forgiveness amid an atmosphere filled with faith and serenity. The Rakchat Party members participated in the Bai Sri offering ceremony to honor Luang Pu Thamchoti and the Bang Rachan heroes, expressing gratitude to their ancestors. Simultaneously, residents of Bang Rachan lit candles to pay respect at the sacred pond of Wat Pho Kao Ton.
Luang Phra Wichit Puttikun, also known as Luang Pho Arut, abbot of Wat Pho Kao Ton, presented a Prajied cloth—his monk's robe of the same batch blessed for General Goong and border soldiers who fought in the Thai-Cambodian war. He entrusted Mr. Chaiwat and Dr. Jes to instill patriotism and love of the homeland in the younger generation and promote national unity. He praised Dr. Jes for performing the sword dance as a valuable effort to preserve Thai arts for future generations. The abbot noted that the sword dance is difficult and that few still maintain this art, reminding people that swords were once the weapons used to fight enemies before Thailand was established.
The annual spirit worship ceremony commemorates the Bang Rachan villagers' heroes. The community invites the spirits from four Satue trees to determine the auspicious time for the event, honoring the sacrifices made by the villagers who fought against the Burmese invaders, giving their lives to protect the land for future generations. The ceremony also honors the spirits who fought in all battlefields, dedicating merit to release their souls to a peaceful afterlife.
Mr. Chaiwat Thanakmanusorn, Rakchat Party leader and prime ministerial candidate, said after attending the ceremony that defending Thailand's land is not only the military's responsibility but that of all Thai people. The Rakchat Party came to the Bang Rachan heroes monument because their ancestors sacrificed blood and lives to protect the nation.
"Defending Thailand is not solely the duty of soldiers but the responsibility of every Thai person. Today we are at the Bang Rachan heroes monument, honoring ancestors who fought and sacrificed their flesh and blood to protect the land of Thailand."
Mr. Chaiwat added that although today's context has changed and we may not fight wars as in the past, the world still faces conflicts and security issues globally and regionally. Thais must unite and not allow anyone to sow discord within the country. Everyone must perform their role in defending Thailand, just as the Bang Rachan villagers did in the past—not as soldiers but as citizens who rose to fight to protect their land. "Today, we must do the same."
"In every role each person has, like the Bang Rachan villagers in the past, who were not soldiers but citizens who stood up to defend the land of Thailand, today we must do the same. Let us not be divided but love and unite. This is the idea of patriotism we want to instill in youth and future generations: remember this, patriotism and defending Thailand is the duty of every Thai citizen."