The royal barge procession will be held on the end of this year. The 52 traditional royal barges have been started renovating by the Royal Thai Navy for a royal barge procession in October. The procession will be organized to mark the royal kathin ceremony at the end of Buddhist Lent in October and to celebrate the 84th birthday of His Majesty the King on December 5.A total of 2,500 navy personnel will serve as oarsmen in one of the country's greatest spectacles.
The budget is about 7 million USD to renovate a fleet of 52 traditional barges and to repair traditional-style costumes and make new ones for the 2,500 oarsmen. The new set of poems for the traditional boat chant during the procession had been composed especially to celebrate the King's 84th birthday.
Of the 52 traditional barges, four are major royal barges - Suphannahongse, Anantanagaraj, Narai Songsuban HM King Rama IX and Anekchatbhuchongse. The last royal barge procession was held on Nov 5, 2007 when His Royal Highness Crown Prince, who represented His Majesty the King, boarded the Suphannahongse royal barge for the royal kathin ceremony at Wat Aroon, or the Temple of Dawn.
