Chusri Ngamprasert

The royal processions are events meant to welcome and bless the new king. (In ancient times, the Royal Land Procession and the Royal Barge Procession were supposed to have exhibited the military strength of the kingdom.) The public and visitors will get the chance to see the monarch as he majestically parades around a sprawling temple complex in the Old Town. The land procession will circle Wat Bovoranives, Wat Rajabopidh, and Wat Phra Chetuphon. All throughout, the king will sit on the Bhudtan Thong Royal Palanquin, carried by 16 bearers. Mystical as it is graceful, the Royal Barge Procession would take place on the Chao Phraya River (back and forth between Tha Ratcha Woradit Pier and Wat Arun). The two Royal Processions mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation Ceremony.

In Hinduism, which exerts an enormous influence on Thai culture, water is the source of life and represents purity, divinity and power. For the coronation ceremony, water is used to symbolize the people’s willingness to bestow kingship to the chosen one. In return, the monarch is bound with a duty to protect and look after his people. Ancient Hindu ceremonies use water collected from India’s five most sacred rivers—the Ganges, the Mahi, the Yamuna, the Rapti and the Sarayu—which are believed to flow down from the abode of Isvara, the Hindu Supreme Lord, in Mount Kailasa. The ancient Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya (1351 to 1767) adopted this practice, and collected water from four sacred ponds in Suphanburi in central Thailand for the coronation rituals of their monarchs. Throughout the first three reigns of the early Rattanakosin period (1782 to 1851), the ceremonial rituals remained heavily Brahman-influenced, and holy water was collected from five virtuous rivers—the Bang Pakong, the Pa Sak, the Chao Phraya, the Ratchaburi and the Phetchaburi—in addition to water collected from four sacred ponds in Suphanburi. Later on, King Mongkut (Rama IV), who spent almost three decades as a Buddhist monk, added water blessed by Buddhist monks to the ceremony. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) took things a step further for his second coronation ceremony— he also brought water from India's five sacred rivers to add to the water mix. For the royal coronation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX),

The throne on which the monarch will sit is another significant element of the Thai royal coronation. After the royal purification, the sovereign would change into the Regal Vestments and proceed to sit on the Atha Disa Udumbara Raja Asana Throne, a fig wood throne placed underneath a seven-tiered umbrella. The king would receive the water of anointment on this fig wood throne (the fig tree being sacred in Hinduism), before moving to the Bhadrapitha Throne, which sits under a royal nine-tiered umbrella, to receive the Royal Regalia, the Royal Decorations and the Royal Utensils. To grant an audience and receive homage from the representatives of the head of states, diplomats and state officials, the king would sit on the Bhudtan Kanchana Singhasana Throne, which is also under a royal nine-tiered umbrella, inside the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall.

After the royal purification (or bathing process), the king is ready for the anointment ceremony, which is the core of the coronation. The royal coronation ceremony during the present Rattanakosin era has been a long-running custom that has withstood time, changes, and even fashions. It was King Mongkut who took inspiration from European culture—Queen Victoria of England’s court, to be precise—and added the crowning event to the ceremony to empower his sovereignty among Westerners. Unlike preceding monarchs who placed the crown and crown jewels beside them, King Mongkut decided to wear the crown on his head and hold the royal scepter in his hand. A golden chair, resembling the Coronation Chair of the British monarchy, was also added to the ceremony. The Thai version, called the Bhadrapitha Throne, was gold and made with inlay of niello. A royal pandit (Hindu priest) and the Brahmin presented the water for anointment. To signify that he was the king of a democratic system, King Bhumibol allowed a member of Congress to join the Brahmins to present the anointment water to him. According to latest news, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Prime Minister, the President of the National Legislative Assembly, the Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Brahmins and royal court scholars will be presenting the anointment water to the king.