The Royal Barges Procession Though the royal barges of Thailand are the last of their kind, the spectacular pagent on water can still be seen in Thailand. This legendary procession seems to have originated in the capital of Sukhothai Kingdom, probably as early as the 13th century. The first Royal Barge Procession of the present reign took place on May 14, 1957, as part of the 25th-century celebration of the Buddhist Era, with 39 barges in the flotilla, for the King's Kathin Ceremonial at Wat Arun. Another procession was the Bicentennial Celebration of Bangkok on April 5 and 13 in 1982. The Thai government organized two grand royal barge processions. The Barge Suphannahong is probably the largest "dug-out" in the world; weighing 15 tons, she is 45 meters long and 3 meters wide, made entirely from one piece of timber, except for the figurehead of the golden swan. The Suphannahong-as well as the Anantanakaraj and Anekchabuchong-is manned by 54 oarsmen, two officers, and one flagman. Further details are available from the book "Royal Barges", published by The Fine Arts Department. Books, postcards, and souvenirs are sold at the Royal Barges National Museum shop. Royal Barges National Museum Back to Main