History of the Procession
Dating back to the 1300s, the Royal Barge Procession continued on regular occasions up until the Burmese invasion of Ayutthaya in 1767 which resulted in hundreds of the barges there being burned and destroyed. Following the sacking of Ayutthaya, General Taksin established the new capital at Thonburi and ordered the reconstruction of the barge fleet. In the wake of Taksin’s death, General Chakri became king and the first monarch (Rama I) in what would become the Chakri dynasty. It was King Rama I who moved the capital from Thonburi to the other side of the Chao Phraya River to present-day Bangkok and also established the Royal Kathin Ceremony using the fleet of barges.