The
Royal Barges National Museum
The
Royal Barges Museum, located on Bangkok Noi Canal in Thonburi,
not far from the Pinklao Bridge, is home to the fabulous ornamental
boats used in State ceremonies and even in battle, in days
gone by.
The
royal barges, at one time vessels of war, now serve in ceremonial
processions along the Chao Phraya River. The most fabulous
of all the vessels in the museum is the 46-meter "Suphanahong"
or "Golden Swan" which is hewed from a single piece
of timber. Built in 1911, Suphanahong is the King's personal
barge, used in traditional events such as the Kathin ceremony
held during October or November. The prow of the boat is carved
into the head of a 'hong' or sacred swan, and the entire vessel
is richly decorated with gilt-covered carvings. The Suphanahong
requires a crew of 54 oarsmen, two steersmen, two officers,
a flagman, a rhythm keeper and a man who sings ancient chants
called 'bot heh rua' in time to the oars. The King sits in
the vessel's golden pavilion.
Other
boats in the barge fleet are fashioned after the creatures
of Thai and Indian mythology such as the 'garuda', Hanuman
the monkey, and the 'naga', a mythical sea serpent.
Only
very rarely is the entire fleet brought into service. In 1982,
in celebration of the Ratanakosin Bicentennial, the full complement
of barges proceeded along the River of Kings. The most recent
flotilla was held at the end of 1999 in celebration of His
Majesty the King's 72nd birthday.
The
Royal Barges National Museum is open to the public every day
from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm with a 10 baht admission fee. Boats
from Wat Mahathat pass the museum on their way down Bangkok
Noi Canal or you can hire a klong taxi to take you there.
For further information, call +66 2 424-0004. 
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