The King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun celebrated his 72nd birthday today with a royal barge procession on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River.
Thousands of well-wishers lined the banks of the river to get a glimpse of the Thai king, who is the wealthiest monarch in the world with an estimated fortune of £33 billion, and his wife Queen Suthida, 46.
Vajiralongkorn, who holds the military ranks of Admiral and Air Chief marshal, was dressed in what appeared to be his navy uniform, complete with a peak cap.
His white jacket was adorned with several medals and he wore a yellow sash over his shoulder. Yellow is the colour of the king in Thailand.
For the momentous occasion, Queen Suthida wore traditional dress in navy. The fresh-faced royal completed her look with a pair of sapphire and diamond encrusted earrings.
King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun (left) celebrated his 72nd birthday today with a royal barge procession on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. He was joined by his wife, Queen Suthida (right), 46
The royal barge carrying Vajiralongkorn and Suthida was accompanied by more than 50 other vessels during the royal barge procession
Suthida, who is the Thai king’s fourth wife, carried a brightly-coloured fan to keep cool in the 31 degree Celsius heat.
It seemed that only two of Vajiralongkorn’s seven children were in attendance on Sunday, October 27 – Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, 37, and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, 19.
A flotilla of 52 ornately decorated boats, paddled by more than 2,000 oarsmen decked out in scarlet and gold, carried the king and Queen Suthida in formation through the heart of the Thai capital to a Buddhist ceremony at Wat Arun, the city’s ancient Temple of Dawn.
The king, officially regarded as semi-divine but who came in for unprecedented criticism in street protests in 2020 and 2021, took his place on a century-old royal barge known as the ‘Golden Swan’ to deliver robes to monks in a ceremony marking the end of Buddhist Lent.
Royal barge processions date back hundreds of years, but are held rarely, saved for the most significant occasions – most recently, the king’s coronation in 2019.
During the 70-year reign of the previous king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, only 16 barge processions were held.
King Vajiralongkorn turned 72 in July, completing his ‘sixth cycle’ in the 12-year astrological calendar – a milestone regarded by Thais as important and auspicious.
Normally the intricately ornamented barges – their prows decorated with garudas, nagas and other mythical creatures from Buddhist and Hindu mythology – are kept in a museum.
It seemed that only two of Vajiralongkorn’s seven children were in attendance on Sunday, October 27 – Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (left), 37, and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (right), 19.
Thai oarsmen dressed in red outfits take part in the royal barge procession
But on days of national importance, navy oarsmen in sarongs, red tunics and traditional hats propel them through the water to the banging of drums, as perfectly coordinated golden paddles break the waters.
Only four of the barges are actually deemed ‘royal’, while the others are officially royal escort vessels.
The barge procession dates back to Thailand’s 1350-1767 Ayutthaya period. When Bangkok was built more than 250 years ago, kings used the boats to travel through the capital’s network of canals.
As Thailand modernised, the barges fell out of use, but king Bhumibol revived the tradition in 1957 to celebrate the 25th century of the Buddhist era.