Thai Navy Holds Blessing Ceremony for Royal Barges

The Royal Thai Navy conducted a ceremonial blessing of the grounds, Buddhist rites, and traditional boat spirit veneration for 14 royal barges on August 3, 2026, at the National Royal Barge Museum. Navy Commander Admiral Phairoj Fueungjan presided over the ceremonies preparing the vessels for a grand water procession as part of royal merit-making activities honoring Her Majesty the Queen's 4th cycle birthday celebration.

At 8:15 a.m., the Navy Commander traveled to the museum to perform ground blessings, Buddhist rites, and rituals venerating the spirits of four royal boats: the Suphannahongse, Anantanakharaj, Narayana Thongsuphan (Rama IX), and Anekchatibuchchong barges, alongside four mythical creature boats including the Ekachaisanhao, Garuda, Sword of Conquest, and Asurawayu vessels.

Following the official proclamation, the Navy Commander oversaw the Buddhist ceremony with incense and candles offered to the Three Gems, ordained monks giving blessings, chanting, and blessing water sprinklings. He then anointed the boats, applied gold leaf, tied colored cloths, arranged garlands, scattered blessed rice and flowers to honor the boat spirits, and performed a ceremonial dance with the Department of Fine Arts.

At 10:19 a.m., the Navy Commander presided over ceremonies honoring the spirits of six additional mythical creature boats at the Royal Motorboat Division, Wasukri Pier, including the Ekachailaohtong, Sword of Victory, Garuda Trijakra, Palee Rangtwip, Sukreekhrongmuang, and Asuropaksi vessels.

The ground blessing ceremony is a traditional ritual acknowledging and showing reverence to the protective spirits of a place, invoking Buddhist virtues and celestial deities. The boat spirit veneration reflects an ancient belief that each vessel has a protective mother spirit, and traditional blessing ceremonies are performed before deployment for good fortune and to boost the morale of naval personnel.