Millions of people worldwide will soon bear witness to one of Thailand’s most spectacular cultural events — the magnificent Royal Barge Procession, the highlight of the many Royal events celebrating the 60th anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol’s accession to the throne.
Although all the 1,200 tickets have been sold out for viewing the main event on June 12, 2006, many tickets are still available for the three rehearsals on June 2, 6 and 9 at the two best riverside spots organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand — the lawns of the Bank of Thailand and the Riverside III cruise.
For those who miss the opportunity to view the spectacular procession live, around 1,200 overseas and local media have signed up with the Public Relations Department to join this special event. They will be providing extensive coverage via their travel channels and documentaries. TAT has also invited 80 overseas media from Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden and USA to view the Royal Barge Procession rehearsals.
TAT is still inviting visitors to enjoy the Royal Barge Procession rehearsals, tickets can be booked at Tel: 0 2250 5500 ext. 2116-7 for the two locations:
Bank of Thailand riverside lawn:
This is the only good place to clearly view the starting point of the procession in natural light. Refreshments will be served. Entrance fee is 1,000 baht.
- As parking space will not be available, it is best to take public transport to the venue.
- The Royal barge will start its formation for the procession at 16.30 hrs when the lead boat will be at the King Rama 8 Bridge. Spectators are suggested to arrive well before the official time in order to clear the security check and be seated before the procession starts.
Riverside III Cruise:
For the rehearsals on June 2, 6 and 9, 2006, visitors onboard the cruise ship will dock alongside the Chao Phraya River to enjoy the light and sound show of the procession. Cocktails and drinks will be served. Ticket price is 3,000 baht.
Recommendation for viewers: Boarding will be at the Riverside Cruise point at Niwet Woradit Pier (near the Royal Thai Navy Club) between 15.00-16.00 hrs. The route of the procession will be closed to all water-borne traffic. The cruise boats to view the procession have to leave the pier at 16.15 hrs sharp in order to dock at the Royal Thai Navy Institute. There will be no way to reach the cruise boat after its departure and late-comers will not get a refund.
As parking space will not available at the Niwet Woradit Pier, it is best to take public transport there.
For more details, please check out http://www.60thcelebrations.com/en and www.tatnews.org.
