Suphannahong fitted with royal regalia ahead of Bangkok barge procession
Royal Household and navy staff have decorated the Suphannahong ahead of full-dress rehearsals on 21 and 28 October and the Royal Kathin procession on 6 November.
Officials fitted royal regalia to the Suphannahong royal barge in Bangkok on Tuesday, 20 October, as preparations advanced for the Royal Barge Procession on 6 November.
Staff from the Bureau of the Royal Household and the Royal Thai Navy installed tiered umbrellas, pavilion curtains and a decorative figurehead tassel at Thonburi Naval Dockyard in Bangkok Noi district. The work comes ahead of two full-dress rehearsals scheduled for 21 and 28 October.
The procession will accompany the royal journey to the annual Kathin robe offering ceremony at Wat Arun Ratchawararam. It forms part of celebrations marking Queen Suthida’s fourth-cycle, or 48th, birthday on 3 June 2026.
Traditional decorations fitted to the royal pavilion
The Suphannahong’s ceremonial fittings include two seven-tiered umbrellas, positioned in front of and behind the royal pavilion. Five five-tiered umbrellas were also installed, with three at the front and two at the rear, along with a ceremonial flag at the stern.
Curtains were fitted inside all four corners of the pavilion, while a hanging tassel was attached to the barge’s distinctive swan-head figurehead.
The tassel is made from fine white yak hair imported from Nepal, assembled in layers and carefully shaped and decorated. A crystal ornament at its tip catches the light and its reflection on the water. The fitting follows traditional royal barge design and complements the form of the figurehead.
Fifty-two barges prepare for the procession
The procession will involve 52 ceremonial barges and 2,200 naval personnel. The vessels will be arranged in five columns and three lines, with the formation spanning 90 metres across the river.
The Anantanakkharat will carry the royal Kathin robes in a pavilion. The Suphannahong, fitted with the royal throne, will serve as the principal royal barge for the journey. The Anekchatphuchong will be the secondary royal barge, while the Narai Song Suban HM Rama IX will serve as the reserve.
The two forthcoming rehearsals will focus on crews’ physical readiness, precise rowing, a steady rhythm, accurate steering and co-ordination between vessels. They mark the full-dress stage of preparations for the ceremony.
Riverbank viewing for residents and visitors
The navy has invited the public to line both banks of the Chao Phraya River between Rama VIII Bridge and Wat Arun for the 6 November procession, according to Nation Thailand.
For Bangkok residents and visitors interested in seeing the fleet before the ceremony, the full-dress rehearsals on 21 and 28 October also offer public viewing along the riverbanks. The procession’s destination, Wat Arun, is where the royal Kathin robe offering ceremony will take place.
