A busy day on the river
See
"Royal Grandeur on the River," front section, page 3
Most of us saw the Royal Barge procession on television yesterday as it approached the Grand Palace area where Thailand's King and Queen were waiting together with their royal guests. That was around six p.m. Actually, however, a lot had already happened before that and this story will give you the details. You will find out the preparations the more than two thousand participants in the procession had made and how the lucky business and home owners in the area were able to earn a great deal of money. Finally, you'll find out how early you needed to come to get a prime seat in the public areas.
For a detailed look at the background to the royal barge procession and a description of the songs and chanting, you can look at the Royal barge lesson I did last week based on a a special Bangkok Post feature.
I'll be back shortly with the vocabulary for each section.
You
can hear the first section of the story by clicking here.
ROYAL GRANDEUR ON THE RIVER
Restaurants,
homeowners cash in
"He-i,
he-i," the chanters
began, and oarsmen holding paddles aloft
(see photo) started to row,
embarking on a historic journey to glorify His Majesty
the King. Like slivers
of gold on a bed of silver, the vessels basked
in an aura
of pink during the fading
light of day.
Spectators
along the Chao Phraya river were gripped
by the magnificent
spectacle of
the Royal Barge Procession, which dates back to the reign
of King Rama I.
Early birds
dressed in yellow came from all parts of the country,
arriving as early as 3am in the rush to secure the best
spots to watch
the procession, while riverside shops and homes charged spectators 200
to 4,000 baht a seat.
By 11am, space under the Rama VIII bridge, where the 52 vessels set
off, was packed and crowds lined public spots along the river.
Law enforcement officials had to step in to ensure safety at some
overcrowded riverside buildings.
grandeur – impressive because of its size, beauty or power
cash in – to earn a lot of money on something
chanters – people who chant, i.e., they repeat a word or phrase over and over again
embarking on – beginning something new, difficult or exciting
glorify – to praise
slivers - small thin pieces of something
basked – enjoyed the light from the sun
aura – the quality or feeling that seems to surround a place
fading – gradually becomes paler or darker
spectators – people watching an event
gripped – were greatly affected by
magnificent – extremely beautiful or impressive
spectacle – a grand or impressive event or performance
reign – the period of time a king or queen rules a country
early birds – people who come somewhere very early
You
can hear the second section of the story by clicking here.
One of
the first to arrive was Sombun Chantarangsi, from Nonthaburi's Bang Bua
Thong district, who made it to Rama VIII bridge at 3am. An eager crowd,
equipped with big bundles
of food, umbrellas and reed
mats, quickly
followed.
Suphab Pattanakij flew in from Trang province two days ago hoping to be
a part of the celebration.
Nang Mulmang and four friends left Khon Kaen province at 9pm, also
arriving at Rama VIII bridge about 3am. Her niece and her German
husband accompanied her. Luigi Zotti said he wanted to see the
procession for himself and did not mind the wait.
It briefly poured with rain in the afternoon, but few people budged
from their prime locations, and they offered support to the more than
2,000 oarsmen who were aboard the barges, preparing to set off in the
rain.
Shops and houses near the Royal Navy Institute, with Wat Arun as the
backdrop,
cashed in, setting up rows of seats along their balconies.
Seat prices skyrocketed
as the event drew near, climbing to 4,000 baht.
Thom Yokkrabat, 60, caretaker of a three-storey building, said all 55
seats there were snatched
up by friends, Russian guests and a Japanese
television crew who were welcomed free of charge as a tribute to the
King.
Jaturon Udomsap, 40, said all 50 seats as his restaurant, priced at 500
baht each, were sold out in advance. He said his price was competitive
compared with the 2,000-4,000 baht per head some nearby shops charged.
Riverside restaurants were fully booked with a set menu costing up to
5,000 baht a table.
Besides food and drink, some vendors
added telescopes and Diamond
Jubilee souvenirs
to their product lines.
reed – made from a kind of tall plant that grow in groups in shallow water
niece – the daughter of your brother or sister
budged - moved
backdrop – what you see behind a scene or object
balcony – a platform on the outside of a building above ground level with a wall or railing around it
skyrocketed – rose very quickly – like a rocket
were snatched up – were taken very quickly
tribute – something that you do or say to show your admiration and respect for someone
competitive – able to compete, in this case, by having a lower price
vendors – people who sell things like food, cigarettes, or newspapers
souvenirs – things that you buy or keep to remind you of a holiday, place or event
You
can hear the final section of the story by clicking here.
At
6.09am, navy commander
Adm Sathiraphan Keyanont presided
over the
traditional royal barge goddess worshipping ceremony, followed by a
morale boost
by royal barge commander Vice Adm Supakorn Buranadilok.
At 9am, the royal barges glided
down the Chao Phraya from the navy
dockyard to
Wasukri pier.
At 2pm, when 2,300 oarsmen and officials had boarded the 52
barges at
the Rama VIII bridge, the crews invited spectators to join in two
minutes of meditation and
sent well-wishes to the King.
The crowds cheered and took photos of the spectacle.
The royal barges set off earlier than scheduled, having to paddle
against a strong current.
About 100 correspondents
from 50 overseas news organisations covered
the 15th procession during the reign of His Majesty the King from the
Royal Navy Convention Hall.After the procession, Nuchari Longcharoen,
28, said she was impressed and proud.
''This ceremony has a grandeur that is not seen anywhere else in the
world,'' she said.
Retired government official Anek Hiranrak, 66, said: ''The celebration
is a show of the King's might
and the loyalty
of his subjects.''
presided over - was in charge of
morale boost – to increase the confidence or cheerfulness of a group of people
glided – moved in a smooth, effortless way
dockyard – a place where ships are build, maintained and repaired
pier – a platform sticking out into water which people walk along or use when getting onto of off boats
boarded – got on
current – a steady and continuous flowing of water
correspondents – TV or newspaper journalists
might – power
loyalty – the fields of duty, support or friendship toward someone or something