Royal Barge Suphannahong prepared for royal kathin ceremony in Bangkok

BANGKOK – Officials from the Bureau of the Royal Household and the Royal Thai Navy installed ceremonial umbrellas, curtains and other royal decorations on the Royal Barge Suphannahong on Tuesday as preparations continued for this year’s Royal Barge Procession for the royal kathin robe presentation ceremony.

The work took place on 20 October at the Thonburi Naval Dockyard in Bangkok’s Bangkok Noi district, where officials fitted the decorations to the barge’s royal pavilion in preparation for the procession, which will take place in connection with the auspicious celebration of Queen Suthida’s fourth-cycle birthday on 3 June 2026.

The decorations include two seven-tiered umbrellas positioned at the front and rear of the royal pavilion, five-tiered umbrellas arranged in descending order, with three at the front and two at the rear, and a three-pronged flag at the stern.

Officials also installed curtains at all four corners inside the pavilion and fitted a decorative tassel to the barge’s figurehead, shaped like a swan’s head. The tassel is one of the vessel’s most distinctive features and an important element of traditional royal barge design.

Made from fine, white yak hair sourced from Nepal, the tassel is assembled layer by layer into a rounded shape, carefully trimmed and decorated. A crystal ornament at its tip catches the light and reflects off the water.

The tassel preserves the traditional design of royal barges and enhances the graceful appearance of the swan-shaped figurehead, reflecting Thailand’s maritime cultural heritage.

In recognition of its historical and architectural significance, the Suphannahong was awarded the Maritime Heritage Award by the World Ship Trust, an international organisation based in the United Kingdom, on 4 June 1992. The award recognised the barge’s exceptional traditional craftsmanship, architectural beauty and preservation. It was the first Thai royal barge, and among the first vessels in Asia, to receive the international honour.

Preparations for the Royal Barge Procession are now in the full-rehearsal stage. Two full-scale rehearsals are scheduled for 21 and 28 October, with crews practising rowing, maintaining rhythm, steering and coordinating their movements with other vessels to ensure the procession proceeds safely and in proper order.

The procession will involve 2,200 Royal Thai Navy personnel and 52 ceremonial barges arranged in five columns across three lines, forming a formation measuring 1,280 metres long and 90 metres wide.

The Royal Barge Anantanakkharat will carry the royal kathin robes, while the Suphannahong will serve as the principal royal barge carrying the royal seat. The Anekchatphuchong will serve as the secondary royal barge, and the Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX will serve as the reserve royal barge.