The Royal Thai Navy held a ceremony to honor the guardian spirits, conducted Buddhist rites, and made offerings to the barge spirits before launching all four royal barges into the water as part of preparations for the Royal Barge Procession.
On 3 August 2026, Admiral Phairoj Fuangchan, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, presided over the ceremony honoring the guardian spirits, Buddhist rites, and offerings to the barge spirits of 14 royal barges involved in the Royal Barge Procession. This event is part of the preparations for the royal ceremony to offer Kathin robes in 2026, marking the Queen’s 84th birthday on 3 June 2026.
At 08:15, the Navy Commander traveled to the National Museum of Royal Barges to conduct the guardian spirit ceremony, Buddhist rites, and offerings to the barge spirits of four royal barges: Suphannahong, Anantanakkharat, Narai Song Suban Rama IX, and Anekchatphuchong. Also included were four animal-shaped barges: Ekkachai Hern Hao, Krut Hern Het, Krabi Prap Muang Man, and Asura Vayuphak.
After the official invocation was read, the Navy Commander began the Buddhist rites by lighting incense and candles to pay homage to the Triple Gem. Monks gave blessings, chanted, and sprinkled holy water. Then, the Commander anointed the barges with holy marks, applied gold leaf, tied colored cloths, hung garlands, and scattered flower petals as offerings to the barge spirits, followed by a traditional blessing dance (Krueda Blessing Dance) performed by the Fine Arts Department.
At 10:19, the Navy Commander presided over a similar ceremony honoring the spirits of six animal-shaped barges at the Royal Motorboat Department in Tha Wasukri, including Ekkachai Lao Thong, Krabi Ran Ron Rap, Krut Trej Trajak, Phalee Rang Thaveep, Sukreep Khrong Muang, and Asurapaksee.
The guardian spirit ceremony is a ritual to acknowledge and pay respect to the local guardian spirits who protect the location. It involves invocations of the Buddha’s power, the Dhamma, the Sangha, celestial beings, and the Four Great Guardians who preside over the four directions and are believed to inhabit the ceremony site. The offering to the barge spirits is an ancient belief that every boat has a protective spirit residing within it, guarding against harm. Before any voyage or use, the barge spirit is worshiped to bring good fortune and boost morale among the crew.
The Royal Thai Navy, the Bureau of the Royal Household, and the Fine Arts Department have been granted royal permission to jointly repair the royal barges and accompanying vessels, and to train the oarsmen in preparation for the Royal Barge Procession for the Kathin robes ceremony in 2026, commemorating the Queen’s 84th birthday. The Navy’s responsibilities include personnel preparation, oarsmen training, barge repair, and dock preparation.
Regarding barge maintenance, the Thonburi Naval Dockyard of the Naval Dock Department conducted inspections and repairs using traditional local boat-building techniques, such as caulking with raw cotton thread to seal the seams tightly and prevent water ingress. They then applied a mixture of resin and oil along the seams and painted the hulls to prevent marine borer damage, which could accelerate wood decay. After completion, the barges were delivered to the Fine Arts Department for decorative work under the supervision of the Royal Artisan Department. Following today’s ceremonies, the royal barges will be launched into the water to begin oarsmen training.
Training the royal barge oarsmen is a crucial step in preparing personnel for the Royal Barge Procession. Initially, the Navy conducted training and knowledge transfer for 58 royal barge captains and 104 royal barge steersmen, who will serve as instructors for their respective units’ oarsmen.
Currently, the training is progressing to on-water rowing practice, before moving on to formation drills on the river to prepare for minor and full rehearsals in due course.
An important element of the Royal Barge Procession is the “Kap Hao Ruea,” a melodious chant that synchronizes the oarsmen. This chant, composed by Rear Admiral Thongyoi Sangsinchai, former Director of the Naval Chaplaincy Department and renowned Thai language and cultural figure from Ratchaburi province, has been used in seven previous Royal Barge Processions and is currently being composed anew for this event.
The procession will feature 2,200 naval personnel selected from various Navy units, manning 52 royal barges arranged in five rows across three columns, measuring 1,280 meters in length and 90 meters in width as follows:
- The central row, the main line of the procession, includes the Suphannahong royal barge carrying the royal throne, the Narai Song Suban Rama IX and Anekchatphuchong royal barges as supporting vessels, and the Anantanakkharat royal barge carrying the Kathin robes. Additionally, the E-Leuang and Tang Mo barges serve as outer and inner drums (the latter commanded by the procession commander), along with police boats and seven escort boats.
- The inner flanking rows beside the royal barges include Thong Khwan Fah and Thong Babiin as front gates, Suea Thayan Chon and Suea Kamron Sin as destroyer barges, and eight animal-shaped barges: Asura Vayuphak, Asurapaksee, Krabi Prap Muang Man, Krabi Ran Ron Rap, Krut Hern Het, Krut Trej Trajak, Phalee Rang Thaveep, Sukreep Khrong Muang. The inner flanking row concludes with Ekkachai Hern Hao and Ekkachai Lao Thong as paired signal barges.
- The outer row comprises 11 long barges and 3 escort barges per side.
The formation training for the Royal Barge Procession includes minor and major rehearsals ahead of the official ceremony on 6 November 2026. There will be 10 minor rehearsals from August to October, starting Monday, 17 August 2026 (dates include 17, 20, 27 August; 3, 8, 17, 23 September; and 2, 8, 15, 21, 28 October), followed by two major rehearsals in late October. The public is welcome to view the rehearsals and the royal procession along both banks of the Chao Phraya River, from Krung Thonburi Bridge to Wat Arun. All Navy personnel take great pride in participating in this significant royal ceremony and are committed to performing their duties with utmost dedication to ensure the procession is conducted smoothly, gracefully, and with proper honor.
