BANGKOK — Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be carried on a golden palanquin through Bangkok’s historic heart Sunday, a second day of coronation rituals which…
BANGKOK — Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be carried on a golden palanquin through Bangkok’s historic heart Sunday, a second day of coronation rituals which will bring the public up close to their powerful monarch.
The Thai coronation that started Saturday was the first in 69 years, a once-in-a-lifetime ceremony where Vajiralongkorn was anointed with holy water and placed the tiered golden Great Crown of Victory on his head.
Early Sunday, the king bestowed royal titles on family members who crawled to his throne as he sat next to his new Queen Suthida.
Thailand’s monarchy is wrapped in ritual, protocol and hierarchy all orbiting around the king, who is viewed as a demigod.
In the afternoon, Vajiralongkorn will emerge from the palace as soldiers in conical red hats carrying tiered umbrellas and royal standards flank the hourslong procession.
“I will be here to save a spot at 5 am,” Kanha Kitvej, 80, told AFP the day before, as she watched soldiers march by the royal palace.
