Royal Barge Procession

In the reign of King Rama IX, Bhumibol Adulyadej (9 June 1946 – 13 October 2016), 16 royal barge processions were conducted:

Royal Barge Suphannahong arrives at Wat Arun for Royal Kathin Ceremony

Royal Barge Anantanakkharat at the 1987 procession

• The Buddhist Era 25th century celebrations - 14 May 1957
• Royal Barge Procession in the Bangkok Bicentennial Celebrations, 5 April 1982
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 20 October 1982
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 16 October 1987 (King's 60th Birthday)
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 7 November 1996 (King's 50th anniversary on the throne)
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 4 November 1999 (King's 6th cycle, 72 years old)
• Royal Barge Procession for APEC Meeting 20 October 2003 (video)[2]
• King's 60th – Diamond Jubilee of the king's accession to the throne. 12 June 2006 (52 barges) (video)
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 5 November 2007 (King's 80th Birthday) (video)
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, scheduled for 22 October 2011 (King's 7th cycle, 84 years old), but postponed due to massive flooding and run on 9 November 2012.[3][4]

• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun 15 November 1959
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 2 November 1961
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 22 October 1962
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 15 November 1964
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 19 October 1965
• Royal Barge Procession for Royal Kathin Ceremony at Wat Arun, 27 October 1967
• Barge Procession to transport a Buddha Image, 12 April 1982

Arranged in five rows.

• 1 pair of lead barges carrying high-ranking officials with the position of permanent undersecretary.
• 1 pair of ancient Thai battle boats with cannons at the bow, carrying army conniellers.
• 2 pairs of plain outer barges
• 4 pairs of inner barges with decorated mastheads in the shape of the garuda, monkeys, and ogres.
• 1 outer drum boat, 1 inner drum boat, with six musicians each playing the Pi and the klong khaek.
• 1 inner, 1 outer boat for the Royal Police.
• The Ekachai Barge with covered throne for monks' robes, the Buddha image or flower arrangements complete with regalia.
• The Ekachai Hern Hao Barge and the Ekachai Lao Thong Barge, carrying musicians from the Prakhom band of the Bureau of the Royal Household and the military bands of the Royal Thai Army to lead the Royal Barge.
• The Royal Barge with covered throne and regalia
• Pavilion Barge for the king's change of robes
• Second Royal barge
• 1 pair of Police barges
• 2 pairs of Army barges
• 1 pair of plain rear barges

• 1 pair lead barges
• 1 pair attack barges
• 7 pairs plain barges
• 4 pairs animal masthead barges
• 1 left drum boat, 1 right drum boat
• 2 police boats—left and right
• The Ekachai Barge with a covered throne for the monks' robes, a Buddha figure or a flower arrangement complete with regalia
• The Ekachai Hern Hao Barge with musicians and the Ekachai Lao Thong Barge
• The royal barge with appropriate regalia
• The second royal barge
• 1 pair police barges

Crew of Sukrip Khrong Mueang performing the ritual wai to Mae Ya Nang,[5] the female spirit believed to be in every boat

• The royal barge Suphannahong (Thai: เรือพระที่นั่งสุพรรณหงส์; 'Golden Swan' or the 'Phoenix') was built in 1911 during the reign of Rama VI (King Vajiravudh) with a bow resembling a mythical swan, or hong, adorned with gold lacquer and glass jewels, with a crystalline ball and tassel dangling from her mouth. This 46-meter craft was carved from a single trunk of teakwood, and was launched 13 November 1911. There is a golden pavilion on board to house the king and his immediate royal family. Suphannahong is the regular royal barge, if a royal is travelling with the procession. Its hull is painted black.

The World Ship Trust, in 1992, named the royal barge Suphannahong a Maritime World Heritage.[6]

• The royal barge Anantanakkharat (Thai: เรือพระที่นั่งอนันตนาคราช; Ananta, 'king of serpents') was built during the reign of Rama III (King Nangklao). It was used as the primary royal barge of Rama IV (King Mongkut). The current Anantanakkharat was built during the reign of Rama VI (King Vajiravudh), and launched on 14 April 1914. The bow is carved into the seven-headed Nakkharat, the mystical snake-like creature, in gold lacquer and glass jewels. Anantanakkharat carries a smaller pagoda-like structure to carry holy objects, unlike the others royal barges, which are equipped with pavilions. Her hull is painted green.
• The royal barge Anekkachatphuchong (Thai: เรือพระที่นั่งอเนกชาติภุชงค์; 'variety of serpents') is the oldest of the four royal barges, built in the late-19th century during the reign of Rama V, (King Chulalongkorn). While no mythical figure is readily visible on the bow, numerous small ornamental Nāga figures are carved into the bow. The hull of Anekkachatphuchong is painted pink.
• The royal barge Narai Song Suban Ratchakan Thi Kao or the royal barge Narai Song Suban HM King Rama IX (Thai: เรือพระที่นั่งนารายณ์ทรงสุบรรณ รัชกาลที่ ๙; "God Narayana on his carrier, Garuda") is the only barge built during the reign of Bhumibol Adulyadej, who laid the keel in 1994. It was built under commission by the Royal Thai Navy and the Thai Fine Arts Department and was launched 6 May 1996 to coincide with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej's accession to the throne. She temporarily took over the role of the main royal barge from Suphannahong for one occasion. She has a red hull. The original Narai Song Suban started life as Mongkol Suban, and had only the Garuda as a figurehead, before having a statue of Narayana retrofitted to her by King Mongkut and renamed Narai Song Suban.

The names of the four royal barges are composed in a consistent rhyme: "Suphannahong", "Narai Song Suban", "Anantanakkharat" and "Anekkachatphuchong". The royal barge's arrangement in the procession would have "Anantanakkharat" leading, with the "Suphannahong", "Narai Song Suban" and "Anekkachatphuchong" following respectively.

	Suphannahong สุพรรณหงส์	Anantanakkharat อนันตนาคราช	Anekkachatphuchong อเนกชาติภุชงค์	Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX นารายณ์ทรงสุบรรณ รัชกาลที่ ๙
Length:	46.15 m	44.85 m	45.67 m	44.30 m
Width at beam:	3.17 m	2.58 m	2.91 m	3.20 m
Hull depth:	94 cm	87 cm	91 cm	1.10 cm
Draught:	41 cm	31 cm	1.46 m
Displacement:	15 tons	15.26 tons	7.7 tons	20 tons
Crew:	50 oarsmen 2 steersmen 1 chanter 2 officers fore 2 officers aft 1 signalman 1 standard bearer 7 bearers of the royal insignia	54 oarsmen 2 steersmen 1 chanter 1 signalman 1 standard bearer 7 bearers of the royal insignia	61 oarsmen 2 steersmen 1 chanter 1 signalman 1 standard bearer 2 officers (one fore, one aft) 7 bearers of the royal insignia	50 oarsmen 2 steersmen

• 
  The bow of barge Asura Paksi[7]
• 
  The bow of barge Krut (Garuda) Tret Traichak
• 
  The bow of barge Sukrip (Sugriva) Khrong Mueang
• 
  The bow of barge Ekachai Lao Thong

Escort barges consist of different classes of barges. Most of their bows are decorated with either a painting or a figurehead of a mythical creature. Other types have less elaborate design. The barges with figureheads have rowers dressed in decorated purple uniforms with pink trousers and red ancient-style helmets with a tall crown and wide brim. The oarsmen on the Ekachai class are dressed in white uniforms with pink trousers and small red headgear with havelocks.

• Ekachai-class barges are two barges with a gold painting of a horned creature that is half-nāga half-dragon, Ekachai Hern How and Ekachai Lao Thong. They might be used to tow Suphannahongse against a strong current or when the royal barge needs assistance. Unlike other escort barges, Ekachai class barges are not equipped with cannon. The two barges can be distinguished by their slightly differing eyes. In the past, there have also been Ekachai-like royal barges, but none are in service today.
• Krut-class barges are two barges with garuda figureheads with nagas caught on their wings and feet. The garuda on Krut Hern Het (Flying Garuda) is red while the one on Krut Tret Traichak ('Garuda travelling through the three worlds') is pink.
• Krabi-class barges consist of four barges with Vanara figureheads, Pali Rang Thawip (Vali rules the land), Sukrip Khrong Mueang (Sugriva rules the city), Krabi Ran Ron Rap, and Krabi Prap Mueang Man. The bow of Pali Rang Thawip depicts Vali, the elder brother of Sugriva on Sukrip Khrong Mueang, rulers of the Kishkindha Kingdom. Both have crowns on their heads with their body colors green and red respectively. Krabi Ran Ron Rap and Krabi Prap Mueang Man ('Monkey defeats the city of evil') feature uncrowned warriors of Vanara Nilaphat (black body) and Hanuman (white body), respectively.
• Asura-class barges are two barges with half-bird, half-ogre figureheads. The bow on Asura Vayuphak has an indigo body in a purple coat; Asura Paksi has a green body in a purple (front) and green (back) coat.
• Suea-class barges are barges with the painting of a tiger, Suea Thayan Chon and Suea Kamron Sin. The names of the barges are clearly written on the bow in red lettering.
• Thong barges are the twin barges that lead the procession. They are shaped much like a smaller, much less elaborate version of Anekkachatpuchong and are painted with their names in white on their bow freeboard area; the tips of their bow and stern are painted in gold. The men on these boats are dress like those on the royal barges, but not entirely alike.

Most of the barges of the fleet are lesser escorts and attendants such as Ruea Dang, Ruea Saeng, police barges, and drum barges. They have no figurehead or cannon. They are painted mostly black, and their type, number, and name (if they have one) is painted on their bows in white. They can be differentiated as follows:

• Police barges have rowers dressed in black and have a relatively flat bow and stern, with the stern raised slightly higher than the bow.
• Saeng barges have a flat bow and stern, but rowers are dressed in white and black headgear; there are also slightly more rowers on these boats. The boats number from one to seven.
• Dang barges have a more pronounced bow and stern, with their shapes similar to those found on the Anekkachatpuchong and the Thong barges, but are smaller, painted black, and less elaborate. These boats number from 1 to 22. Their oarsmen are dressed in black uniforms similar to those of the rowers on royal barges, with red trim on their uniforms.
• The Tangmo ('watermelon') and the E. Leeung barges precede the royal barges. They are shaped like the Police and Saeng barges, but are smaller and sit lower in the water. The oarsmen dress like the rowers on the Saengs.