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Historical evidence suggests that royal barge processions have existed at least since the Ayutthaya period
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in mid 14 century. Some older literature from the Sukhothai period also mentioned names of the royal vessels
used in waterborne ceremonies. Such tradition was then passed on to Thonburi and the current Rattanakosin
periods.

Kings of the Ayutthaya Kingdom traveled in royal barges for the Kathina Ceremony or the offering of
robes and monastic paraphernalia to Buddhist monasteries. In later years, the procession was used on other
occasions as well including for royal funerals and for the King’s journey to Saraburi Province once a year to pay
homage to Buddha’s footprint, a sacred religious site for Buddhists.

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The earliest detailed account of the royal barge procession was documented in mid 17 century during
the reign of King Prasad Thong (1630 – 1655). But the golden age of the royal flotilla appears to be during
the reign of King Narai The Great (1656 – 1688) since it was an era of enduring peace and prosperity. It was
during this period that King Louis XIV of France sent two embassies to Ayutthaya led by Chevalier de Chaumont
and Simon de la Loubere. Upon their arrival, a barge procession was arranged to transport the royal letter
and gifts from King Louis XIV as well as the French envoy and his retinue to the palace. Father Guy Tachard,
a member of Simon de la Loubere’s delegation, recorded that there were around 150 barges moving in an orderly
fashion with the sound of chanting reverberating along the river. It was truly a breathtaking spectacle to behold.

During the Rattanakosin period, His Majesty King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok The Great (1782 - 1809)
commissioned the construction of a new fleet of royal barges as the old ones were destroyed during the raid of
Ayutthaya by the Burmese army. Existing barges were continuously restored and several new ones
were built from the reigns of His Majesty King Nangklao (1824 – 1851) to His Majesty King Vajiravudh (1910 – 1925).
For instance, Suphannahong Royal Barge, probably the most iconic vessel in the procession, was first built in
the reign of His Majesty King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok The Great and was used for over a century. The second
barge bearing the same name was constructed in the final years of His Majesty King Chulalongkorn (1868 – 1910)
and was completed in the following reign. It is still in use today.

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