Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok: dress rehearsals on 21 and 28 October, main procession on 6 November

Contents of this article5 sections

1. A rare spectacle on the Chao Phraya
2. Dress rehearsals: almost like the big day
3. Where to stand
4. Hardly any boats run on the rehearsal days
5. Can’t make either date?

A rare spectacle on the Chao Phraya

On Friday, 6 November 2026, the Royal Barge Procession sails in Bangkok. 52 barges crewed by around 2,200 Navy personnel travel along the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun, where King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida present robes to the monks at the Kathin ceremony, held after the end of Buddhist Lent. The occasion is the Queen’s 48th birthday. The whole formation is just under 1.3 kilometres long.

This only happens every few years. The procession last sailed in October 2024, and before that in 2019 for the coronation. The King’s barge is the Suphannahong, a golden barge with a swan head that was completed as far back as 1911.

Dress rehearsals: almost like the big day

My tip: watch one of the two dress rehearsals. All the barges sail in full decoration, and the rowers wear their ceremonial dress. The riverbank is much emptier than on 6 November, though.

• Wednesday, 21 October 2026
• Wednesday, 28 October 2026

The start time is given as 3 pm by the government and as about 2:30 pm by the tourism authority TAT. So be at the river by 2 pm to be safe. Watching costs nothing, and you do not need a ticket for the public spots on the bank. The Navy’s free tickets for its own reserved areas on the bank were only available until 16 September.

Where to stand

The barges start at Wasukri Pier in the north and sail past the Grand Palace to Wat Arun. Good spots on the riverbank include:

• Santichaiprakan Park with the Phra Sumen Fort
• the banks around the Rama VIII Bridge and the Pinklao Bridge
• Tha Chang on the palace side
• Tha Tien by Wat Pho, with a view across to Wat Arun

Access right at Wat Arun is expected to be restricted. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and take your passport with you in case there are security checks. When the King’s barge passes, Thais fall quiet and show respect. Do the same.

Hardly any boats run on the rehearsal days

On the rehearsal days the river between Krung Thon Bridge and Pinklao Bridge is closed to all boats from midday. On 21 and 28 October the Chao Phraya Express Boat runs only from 6 to 10 am and then again from 1 pm, on shorter routes. The ferries at Tha Chang and Tha Maharaj run only until 10 am, and the blue-flag tourist boat is cancelled for the whole day. So plan to get there by taxi, Grab or MRT. Sanam Chai station is close to Wat Pho.

There is no official information yet on closures for 6 November. Expect crowded banks and closed piers.

Can’t make either date?

You can also see the barges on dry land. The originals are in the Royal Barges National Museum on Khlong Bangkok Noi. And at ICONSIAM, a free exhibition shows 52 models of the barges until 8 November.

Source: Thailand.go.th, 19 October 2026; TAT Newsroom, 14 August and 7 October 2026; The Thaiger, 10 August and 9 October 2026; MGR Online.