Royal Birthday Ceremony Held at Bangkok Temple

Senior Buddhist officials and government representatives participated in a special Buddhist chanting ceremony called "Navakkhayusamatham" to honor the birthday of His Majesty the King on July 28, 2569. Pramaha Wachcharajarya, abbot of Wat Rajapradit, led the monastic side, while Ms. Yupa Taveevattanakij, Secretary-General of the Prime Minister's Office, led the lay participants. Officials from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Transport, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, together with Buddhist devotees, gathered at the Grand Viharn of Wat Rajapradit in Phra Nakhon district to pay respects and offer blessings to the King.

The ceremony was organized jointly by the Prime Minister's Office, Wat Rajapradit, the Ministry of Transport, and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. All participants engaged in meditation and prayer, wishing for the King's continued health, prosperity, and long reign as a symbol of refuge and protection for the Thai people. The ceremony reflected the commitment to uphold the King's vision of governing with righteousness and dharma for the welfare of the nation, as expressed in his coronation pledge.

The "Navakkhayusamatham" chant, meaning "Dharma as the Medicine of the Nine Planets," is a Buddhist liturgy composed by His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyawongsa Kataññaña (Sayadaw), the 9th Supreme Patriarch of Thailand and first abbot of Wat Rajapradit. It incorporates Buddhist teachings aligned with Thai astrology and invokes the blessings of the nine celestial bodies. The ceremony was first performed in 2421 BE during the reign of King Chulalongkorn's 25th birthday celebration as a special observance of a royal anniversary.