Among the artists whose works are featured in the show are Chuang Moonpinit, Chusak Wisanukamron, Sanun Rattana, Suwatchai Tubtim, Chatchawan Rodklongtan, Apichai Karikarn, Suwit Tangsombat, Charun Kanokkarnjana, and Kampon Niyomthai.

Find out more by calling (02) 721 8888 or visit http://www.seaconsquare.com and http://www.facebook.com/SeaconSquareFanPage, or follow seaconsquare on Instagram and @seaconsquare on LINE.

Parisian spins

France’s Roche Musique label is bringing Zimmer & Kartell to Bangkok next Wednesday night and they’ll be manning the decks at The Terrace at Levels until late.

Zimmer, part of the new wave of Paris producers who is redefining electronic music, has confirmed his status amongst France’s biggest rising talents in the electro scene. Kartell stands out with a particular sound signature that mixes House, R’n’B and Future Beat.

Tickets are Bt300 for men and Bt200 for ladies including one welcome drink.

For more information and table reservations, call (082) 308 3246 or email: info@levelsclub.com.

A night of funk

Funk D, sometimes known as the “Bootleg King” who made his mark worldwide thanks to a repertoire of twisted remixes and official releases, performs tomorrow night at Insanity Nightclub.

Funk D has toured more than 40 countries and has played a residency at Tomorrowland for seven years in a row!

Tickets are Bt400 for men and Bt300 for ladies including one drink.

Call (082) 731 8885.

Graduation ball with a Swiss flavour

Graduates of RIS Swiss Section – Deutschsprachige Schule 2019 – will be celebrating the end of their school days with the Maturaball at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit on June 15.

The ball is an exclusive event with guests from Thailand, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and many other countries under the patronage of the German ambassador, Georg Schmidt. Tickets cost Bt1,600 available at the Office of the RIS Swiss Section – Deutschsprachige Schule Bangkok.

The path to a better life

The Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce along with Bangkok Hospital is holding an event to explain the “Optimum Guide to A Better Living” – “your first wealth is health, the second is maintaining it” – at 7R Conference Room of the hospital’s Rehabilitation Building on May 14.

This event will kick off with an opening ceremony indicating sports as one of the ways to improve living, followed by discussions and a live cooking show.

Admission is free.

But while most are spending their time in air-conditioned bliss, Thai consumers are beginning to understand the importance of maintaining health and wellness in their daily lives.

According to a Nielsen survey, 90 per cent of Thai consumers say that they drink healthy beverages regularly and more than 80 per cent consume healthy food.

“With the change in macro factors, be it an ageing population, environmental issues, urbanisation or higher penetration of internet and mobile adoption, consumers are becoming more discerning in their product choices, especially when it comes to healthy offerings,” said Viraj Juthani, director of Nielsen Thailand.

This is also the case for Bangkok’s modern office workers, who now believe health and wellness facilities are as important as their office’s location when considering a job. And yet for many Thai workers, it is difficult to find the time to stay fit and healthy, especially during the summer. With heart disease still at its highest level in Thailand’s history, here are some tips to maintain a good life balance during the summer heat.

Being careful about what you eat is very important for a healthy heart and overall wellness. Researchers believe that eating habits are the likely reason why Spain and Italy are considered the Healthiest Countries in the World. According to a study led by the University of Navarra Medical School, a “Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, had a lower rate of major cardiovascular events than those assigned to a reduced-fat diet.”

Eating a diet rich in omega-3, healthy proteins, and fats will help your body maintain a healthy balance and weight. As the body requires some fats to sustain energy, ensure you consume healthy fats such as salmon, olive oil, avocados and hard-shelled nuts. This can be found in simple to make dishes such as Grilled Belly Salmon, soaked in olive oil and a light dressing.

If you don’t have access to a gym, there are still some fun simple daily exercises that help control weight, and also release stress and endorphins, which allow you to feel better about yourself during the day. If you don’t want to scare your fellow workers, simply exercise using your office chair and do dips, squats, calf raises, seated bicycle crunches and neck rolls to loosen the body and keep your heart rate moving.

In March 2019, Nakhon Ratchasima Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital revealed that up to 19 million Thais currently suffer from sleep deprivation, with almost 1.9 million suffering from chronic insomnia. Leaving insomnia untreated can lead to chronic fatigue. That can escalate to more severe dangers such as a higher risk of clinical depression, while worsening such conditions as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or dementia.

Office workers often know when they arrive at work and the hours they get to leave. Select appropriate times for sleeping and when to be awake, and try to keep it the same throughout the week. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, particularly close to bedtime; also try to stop watching television an hour before bed, as the light from the television stops people from getting melatonin, a key factor in helping us all sleep.

With the largest number of condominiums in Bangkok – not to mention the highest land prices –Sukhumvit Road is home to some of the city’s richest folk. The construction that has taken place over the last three decades has done away with most of the graceful villas with large gardens that once lined its sois, greatly reducing areas where pampered pets can enjoy leisure time with their owners outside four walls. Fortunately, though, Chana “Mint” Hetrakul, executive director of Tre 3 Sanctuary, has come up with a solution, opening Trail and Tail, the first comprehensive pet-friendly community mall in the country.

“Our old family home was located here. But the house deteriorated, so my family and relatives started to think about turning this space into something that could benefit society as a whole. All of us are animal lovers and so we decided on the Trail and Tail Pet-Friendly Community project. Our aim is to serve the lifestyle needs of pet-owning residents in Sukhumvit, both Thai and expat, who want their dogs or cats to enjoy the great outdoors but cannot provide it at home. Trail and Tail also brings likeminded people together. We focus on improving the quality of life for owners and their pets, offering them the chance to relax over a good meal while their pets play and run as if they were in a garden of their own,” Chana says.

“This very large plot of land was once home to five houses, each one lived in by members of the family. It’s right in the heart of Sukhumvit and the current owners want to keep the land in such a way that it allows them to recall their childhood memories. At the same time, city people, who live in this area of Sukhumvit yearn for some greenery and we are happy to provide it,” says Pimsuree “Tik” Sukapanpotharam, project director of Trail and Tail and a partner in the Moggie Doggie pet shop.

“Mint and I are friends and I also had a dream to do something for pets in Bangkok. I raise dogs and would like them to have a good quality of life. No dogs are allowed in public parks. There are so many restrictions on pets that Thais have little experience of going out with their dogs and seeing how their behave when they have the freedom to run,” she adds.

Pimsuree and Chana looked carefully at the best way to realise their project for two years before starting construction of this pet-friendly community mall on the four-rai plot of lush green land in Sukhumvit Soi 39. Many pet business operators were keen to jump on the bandwagon, including the owners of an animal hospital, but the pair said no. They also looked at consumer behaviour and different business models.

“We want our place to be a happy space for animals so an animal hospital was not what we had in mind. The first important factor is safety. We have two entrance doors to ensure pets don’t escape. Another goal was to improve the value of this old house while being as eco-friendly as possible. We studied our trees and have a sensory garden like those overseas that sharpens an animal’s sniffing skills.

“I attended a seminar organised by the Thai Pet Product Industries Association which looked at the trends in pet ownership. Pet lovers have morphed into ‘pet parents’ who love their pets like their children. Our place aims to be a space where pet parents can take care of their ‘children’ correctly. We supply dog poop pickup tools as well as day care for dogs. Care centres where owners can leave their dogs during the day is big business in the US and is growing here too. A service offered in the US, which I think is great but am not sure if it would work in Thailand, is ‘self-grooming’ where the owner can shower her pet by herself. I do it for my dogs and find it very relaxing,” says Pimsuree.

Trail and Tail is divided into three zones. The first zone, into which Bt50 million has been invested, features a large open space where dogs can romp and play, a salt water swimming pool measuring four by 10 metres and one-metre deep, and a dog hotel with 38 rooms. Price per night is based on size, with the small room going for Bt950, the medium for Bt1,250, and the large for Bt1,500. The day care centre is here too and costs from Bt300 to Bt500. There’s also a cat hotel run by tenant Kofuku with 19 rooms (capsule Bt300, deluxe Bt400 and penthouse Bt1,500), Hato Pet Wellness offering grooming, spa, massage and aromatherapy, plus premium pet shop Moggie Doggie.

“We allow all dog and cat breeds but do have a few restrictions. We do not accept dogs or cats younger than five months, female dogs in heat or animals with aggressive behaviour. All pets must have a valid and up-to-date vaccination book. Our staff are experienced. Dog trainers run the swimming pool and qualified animal nurses are in charge at the dog hotel. We do not sell pets though in future we will offer a pet adoption service, especially for dogs, on which we will cooperate with different organisations. We are also planning dog training and dog agility exercises. We hope too to set up an activity where disabled or autistic children will be able to spend time with dogs and pet them. We have a veterinarian from England here every Saturday and Sunday to advise on dog behaviour,” says Pimsuree.

The second zone is home to the restaurant Tea Factory and More at A’ La Campagne in Pattaya. It serves healthy, hearty and homemade food, desserts such as ebony cake, scones and carrot cake and is eco-friendly with glasses and drinking straws made from biodegradable materials and an organic vegetable patch. Dogs and cars are welcome to chill with their owners as they sip on the restaurant’s signature cold brew tea such as La Vie En Rose, Oolong Lychee, Earl Grey Yuzu, Puerh Vanilla, Kombucha, and Kombucha Mango.

The second phase scheduled for completion in the middle of this year will feature a doggy restaurant called Dogkery Café offering healthy food and snacks as well as a fitness centre and beauty clinic.

PURR-FECT PAMPERING

– Situated in Sukhumvit Soi 39, Trail and Tail Pet-Friendly Community is open daily from 10am to 7pm.

– For more information, please call (099) 352 2564 or visit http://www.facebook.com/trailandtailbkk, IG: trailandtailbkk, and Line: @trailandtail.

Off limits to the public, the Phra Maha Monthira halls within the inner sanctum of the Emerald Buddha Temple and the Grand Palace will serve as venues for this weekend’s coronation ceremony.

These halls were built on the site where King Rama I first built a temporary palace upon assuming the throne and establishing the Chakri Dynasty in 1782.

               King Rama IX dressed in royal vestments for his coronation on May 5, 1950 at the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall. This elaborate and highly decorated traditional costume comprises a gold embroidered jacket, a traditional silk shirt and lower garment. 

The structure and pattern, including the interior of these halls, follow traditional design and convey the heavenly status of the king in line with the cosmological beliefs described in the Tribhumikatha scriptures written by Phra Maha Dhamma Raja I (Lithai) of the Sukhothai era. The exteriors are no less magnificent, with each set of the layered roofs boasting decorative rakes called Krieung Lam Yong, Chofah and Hang Hong. The roofs are lacquered and decorated with a mosaic of coloured glass in green, orange and yellow.

The Phra Maha Monthira group of royal halls – built in close proximity to one another – are marked with distinctive roofs, with tiers telescoping outwards, with decorated pediments featuring undulating Nagas on its gables, and chofa at the apex. 

Royal ceremonies during the reign of King Rama I initially took place in the Indra Bhisek Maha Prasad Throne Hall, but King Rama II later moved them to halls in the Phra Maha Monthira group, with his coronation being held in one of them. The Phra Maha Monthira comprises three connecting buildings: the Chakrapat Biman Royal Residence, the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall and the Amarindra Vinijaya Mahaisuraya Biman Throne Hall.

The coronations of King Rama II, King Rama IV and King Rama V as well as the first coronation of King Rama VI in 1910 were held in the Phra Maha Monthira halls. However, King Rama VI’s second coronation on the following year was held at the Dusit Maha Prasad Throne Hall, which was built separately.

The coronations of King Rama VII and King Rama IX were once again held in the Phra Maha Monthira group of halls.

The Chakrapat Biman Royal Residence 

The assumption of the Royal Residence is an important part of the coronation ceremony. It is customary for the newly crowned monarch to spend at least one night in hall, which is placed in the innermost part of the Grand Palace.

                   The king’s bedstead inside the Chakrapat Biman Royal Residence. 

The hall was built during the reign of King Rama I as the primary apartment and sleeping quarters of the monarch. According to tradition, only crowned kings can sleep within this hall. Divided by a golden screen, the northern part of the hall contains a canopied bed originally occupied by King Rama I, and above it hangs a ninetiered umbrella. The second part of the room contains a dressing and privy chamber, above which hangs another ninetiered umbrella. King Rama VI spent the last years of his life in this hall, and passed away in 1925.

King Rama VII and King Rama IX, however, spent  a few nights in this hall after their coronation.

During the coronation ceremony, royal accessories were traditionally placed in the Chakrapat Biman Royal Residence for the monarch’s assumption of the residence. Among them were the “cat” or Wila, mortar stone, auspicious seeds, green gourd, golden key and a gold blossom of the betel palm. More objects were later added such as the whisk, which was later made from the tail of a white elephant.

The Baisal Daksin Throne Hall 

The middle chamber, a rectangular hall, is where most important religious and state ceremonies are held, including the coronation.

                 Inside the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall, where the Atha Disa Udumbara Raja Asana Throne is placed on the east and the Bhadrapitha Throne is on the west. 

The hall houses two thrones: the Atha Disa Udumbara Raja Asana Throne or the Octagonal Throne situated in the eastern part of the hall, and the Bhadrapitha Throne on the western side.  On the northern side of the hall is a solid wall comprising 11 door panels, and in the centre of this wall is a Chinesestyle altar housing Phra Siam Devadhiraj – a deity who is believed to protect the country. The deity was crafted on the instruction of King Rama IV.

                 The Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where Phra Siam Deva Dhiraj, a deity that protects the country, is enshrined in a Chinesestyle altar. 

During King Rama IX’s coronation on May 5, 1950, he sat on the octagonal Atha Disa Udumbara Raja Asana Throne, with a seventiered umbrella or Saweta Chatra placed above it, to receive the anointing water.

After being anointed, King IX then moved to the Bhadrapitha Throne, with a ninetiered umbrella above it, where he was presented with the Royal Golden Plaque, Royal Regalia, Ancient and Auspicious Orders, Royal Utensils and Weapons of Sovereignty. Then King Rama IX placed the Great Crown of Victory on his head.

The Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall

After the newly crowned king takes possession of the Royal Residence, the next ritual is for Buddhist monks to present a sermon to the new king at the Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall. This ceremony does not involve holy chants, but instead the Supreme Patriarch and a group of Phra Racha Khana monks are invited to preach to the new monarch, while seated on a special pedestal with a ninetiered umbrella.

                       The Amarindra Vinijaya Throne Hall, which is used by kings for various national events. 

The content of the sermon has varied from one reign to another, with the first taking place during the coronation of King Rama V.

The monks’ discourse is the last part of the coronation procedure to take place inside the Grand Palace.

FOLLOWING on from purification bathing and anointing rituals with consecrated water that are at the heart of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s coronation ceremony this Saturday, is the crowning and the investiture ceremony.

Each item of the royal regalia to be presented by the chief Brahmin during the ceremony has a symbolic significance, reflecting a practice that goes back to the 13th century during the Sukhothai Period.

Nophapadon Maha Saweta Chatra (the White Nine-tiered Umbrella), the most important symbol of the supreme sovereign, is presented to King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) on May 5, 1950.

Evidence of this lies in a stone inscription, written in Thai and Khmer found at Wat Pa Mamuang in Sukhothai province, that lists the royal regalia used in the coronation of Phra Maha Dhamma Raja I (Lithai) who ruled the Sukhothai kingdom from roughly 1347 to 1368.

The chief Brahmin presents Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri (the Sword of Victory) to King Bhumibol on his coronation day on May 5, 1950.

“The Sukhothai kingdom was related to the Khmer Empire and began adopting Hindu precepts in royal ceremonies in addition to the Buddhist concept of Dhammaraja,” says art historian Professor MR Suriyavudh Suksvasti. “Phra Chao Uthong [Somdet Phra Ramathibodi I, the first king of the Ayutthaya kingdom who ruled from 1350 to 1369] largely accepted the Khmer concept of Devaraja or the king as a divine ruler.”

When King Rama I founded the Chakri dynasty and made Bangkok the capital in 1782, his coronation ceremony held that same year was an abbreviated affair due to the uncertain situation in his kingdom. In 1783, he commissioned an assembly to re-examine the coronation records from late Ayutthaya period, resulting in a revised procedure recorded in the “Manual on the Royal Coronation Ceremony Procedure Collected from the Ayutthaya Period for Official Use”.

A mural in the ubosot of Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram in Samut Songkhram province depicts the chief Brahmin presenting Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut (the Great Crown of Victory) to King Rama II during the coronation ceremony.

In conjunction with the completion pavilions in the new Grand Palace and a new set of royal regalia, King Rama I held his second coronation ceremony in 1785. This became the prototype for the rites of accession of the kings of the current Chakri Dynasty.

The first item to be presented is the Nophapadon Maha Saweta Chatra (the White Nine-tiered Umbrella), the most important symbol of supreme sovereignty. The nine layers of the tiered umbrella are made of white cloth trimmed with gold. King Rama IV ordered the tiered umbrella to be covered with white cloth instead of the previous tash cloth (silk woven with threads wrapped in gold or silver thread.)

 The quintet of the royal regalia

Next comes the quintet of royal regalia, namely Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut (Great Crown of Victory), Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri (Sword of Victory), Than Phra Kon (Royal Sceptre), Walawichani (Royal Fan and Fly Whisk) and Chalong Phrabat Choeng Ngon (the Royal Slippers).

Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut (the Great Crown of Victory)

Made at the royal command of King Rama I, the multi-tiered crown symbolising the heavenly abode of the Hindu god Indra is made of gold, enamelled and studded with diamonds and other precious stones. It is 66 centimetres high and weighs 7.3 kilograms. The tip of the crown was later embellished with a large diamond that King Rama IV brought from India.

Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri (the Sword of Victory)

Legend has it that the blade of the Sword of Victory, which represents sovereignty and military power, was found by a fisherman in a lake in Cambodia and presented to King Rama I. He later ordered that the hilt and sheath be ornamented in gold enamel and precious gems.

The length of the blade itself is 64.5cm and 89.8cm including the hilt. It weighs 1.3kg, and when enclosed in the sheath, it is 101cm long and weighs 1.9 kg.

Than Phra Kon (the Royal Scepter)

Symbolising legal authority and justice, the Royal Sceptre was originally made during the reign of King Rama I. The staff was crafted from Javanese Cassia wood, with a gilded trident as the finial and an iron hilt enamelled with gold.

King Rama IV ordered a new sceptre to be made of pure gold, designed to hide a sword within and a figure of a deity on its finial. However, King Rama VI brought back the original sceptre for his coronation and it has been used ever since.

Walawichani (the Royal Fan and Fly Whisk)

Also made in the reign of King Rama I as a symbol to repel any maleficent forces that might adversely affect his subjects was the Royal Fan and Fly Whisk. Originally made from palm leaf, the rim of the fan was trimmed with gold and rod made of enamelled gold.

As an expert in the Pali language, King Rama IV later pointed out that a direct translation of the term Walawichani indicated that the fly whisk should be made with yak hair instead of a palm leaf. He later ordered that the Walawichani be adjusted accordingly.

 Chalong Phrabat Choeng Ngon (the Royal Slippers)

The last item is the Royal Slippers that take the form of an open-heeled slipper with the front curling up to a point. Symbolising the ruler’s majesty, King Rama I ordered a pair of gold slippers to be made according to ancient Hindu belief. This pair was made of colourful enamelled gold and inlaid with diamonds.

Chiang Mai is known for its enchanting blend of the old and the modern, as well as for its fantastic culinary scene. The diversity of food and eateries is impressive, ranging from high-end restaurants catering to the fine-dining crowd to small local joints serving Lanna-style dishes full of flavours and aromas.

Chiang Mai is also home to many Royal Project sites which, while helping to preserve the region’s agricultural heritage and traditions and providing better, more sustainable livelihoods for the local people, are a source of the freshest produce and ingredients for the city’s culinary foodscape.

For the millions of tourists who visit Chiang Mai each year, an impressive range of accommodation is on offer to suit all tastes and budgets from quaint hostels and budget guesthouses nestled in side streets, to midrange properties and fivestar addresses located downtown, to amazing boutique hideaways in lush green surroundings. All of these factors combine to make Chiang Mai a gastronomic tourism destination of wonderful diversity and quality.

In the last edition of the little red guide released last year, Thai street food eatery Jay Fai has retained its one Michelin star for the second consecutive year and the legendary Thai restaurant Methavalai Sorndaeng is among the new 10 additions to have been awarded one star.

No restaurant has achieved the coveted highest three-star rating. All three two-starred restaurants in the inaugural edition, namely Gaggan, Le Normandie and Mezzaluna have retained their stars, while Suhring has been upgraded from one to two stars.

Though the second edition of Michelin of Thailand had been extended to cover the best dining venues in the Southern provinces of Phuket and Phang Nga. Pru restaurant in Phuket is the only restaurant in the two Southern cities to have been awarded one star. The other 14 restaurants in both cities such as the famous venues of Raya and Chomchan received Bib Gourmand awards for being good value for money. In addition to Methavalai Sorndaeng and Pru, other new one-starred additions include Le Du, Gaa, Canvas, R.Haan, Saawan, Sorn, Ruen Panya, and Suan Thip.

Dining venues in Bangkok’s neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan were also covered in the second edition.

For details, visit http://www.Guide.Michelin.com.

These bags will be available at select outlets of the three brands and online channels from tomorrow (May 1) onwards, priced at between Bt1,880 and Bt3,590 apiece.

Porawan Mahatanasuk, customer and brand management director at SCG Cement, says: “SCG has recognised the importance of conducting businesses in line with the Circular Economy concept and that has inspired the SCG Circular Way. This guideline focuses on maximising the efficiency of resources in use and minimising the use of new resources through ‘Re-process, Re-design, Added Value, Innovation, Collaboration and Reuse’. This approach creates value and sustainability for the environment, communities and businesses alike. SCG seriously seeks to create understanding and support for the need to change manufacturing and consumption behaviours in pursuit of sustainable business development, which is based on the maximum resource efficiency.”

“Our bag design seeks to highlight cement bags’ strengths. They are durable and lightweight. They can also carry a big load. Inspired by cement bags’ strengths, our design focuses on simplicity. It is appealing in sewing and cutting sophistication. On top of this, our design focuses on functionality. It is easy to carry around, and easy to open. Its carrying capacity is impressive too. In all, our limited-edition bag definitely responds to the needs of fashion lovers who appreciate the use of unused materials. Our bag is also environmentally friendly,” said Bhubawit Kritpholnara, founder and designer of Issue.

Each participating fashion brand produces just 100 pieces and the designers ensure that the bags still perfectly retain the distinctive signature of the three participating fashion brands. Proceeds after expenses will go to the Habitat for Humanity Foundation or the cause of improving Thais’ quality of life via habitat and community development, which will create better changes in the society.

“This project is both fun and challenging,” added Jaroenvit Penphong, head of designer at Kloset & Etcetera. “The main theme surrounds the creation of bag that uses unused cement bags as key materials. Because cement bags look tough and quite masculine, we decided to use tiger logo as our bag’s highlight. But of course, we add embroidery details – which are our brand’s signature style – to our limited-edition bag so that the tiger logo and pattern have interesting dimension. The tigers as a result stand out even more. We have created our design as a tote bag because it is easy to use and suitable for carrying things in our daily life”.

“Cement bags’ high durability is the inspiration behind our design, which seeks to highlight this point though Urface’s signature of the use of art. Our focus is on tiger that appears as the logo on cement bag,” said Aruk Ornvilai, art director and artist of Urface. “On the design, we have surrounded the tiger with elements, like water and fire, to communicate about cement bags’ great durability. The bag is also reversible.”

The limited-edition bag by Issue is priced at Bt3,590 and is available at Siam Square Soi 3 branch (Line: @issuethailand), and those of Kloset & Etcetera is priced at Bt3,450 at its Siam Center branch (LINE: @kloset_etc). Urface’s bag costs Bt1,880 and is available at its shops at CentralWorld, Siam Discovery, Iconsiam, and the EmQuartier (Facebook.com/urfacestore).

What we will see this weekend, though, is a variant of what became common in the Ayutthaya Period, 1350 to 1767.

“After founding the Chakri Dynasty and making Bangkok the capital in 1782, King Rama I re-examined the coronation records from the late Ayutthaya period, resulting in a revised procedure and the prototype for the rites of accession ever since,” explained Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

King Bhumibol (Rama IX) on the throne enshrined with the nine-tiered umbrella, grants an audience to the royal family members and state officials on May 5, 1950.

The key rites are the purification bath and anointing with sacred water. Siamese and Thai monarchs have always been revered as divine or at least semi-divine, in accord with Hindu tradition.

Venerable Brahmanist texts stipulate that the water used to bathe and anoint monarchs must come from the Pancha Maha Natee, the collective name for India’s five main rivers – the Ganga (Ganges), Mahi, Yamuna, Aciravati and Sarabhu.

All of these rivers flow from Mount Kailash, which Hindus regard as the physical embodiment of mythical Mount Sumeru, epicentre of the universe and abode of the god Shiva.

King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit grant a public audience from a balcony of the Suddhaisavarya Prasad Throne Hall at the Grand Palace on May 7, 1950.

Professor MR Suriyavudh Suksvasti, an art historian and head of a sub-committee in charge of disseminating information about this weekend’s coronation, said the five rivers of Siam recognised as corresponding to India’s in the late Ayutthaya period were collectively called Bencha Suttha Khongkha.

“During the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty from 1688-1767 – the last kings of Ayutthaya – it was decreed that water should also be drawn from four sacred ponds in Suphan Buri, because those kings hailed from Suphan Buri,” he said.

The last time Thais witnessed the purification, anointing and investiture of a monarch was during the coronation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) on May 5, 1950.

On May 5, 1950, King Bhumibol dressed in white garment, waits within a pavilion in the Grand Palace ready to participate in the purification bathing ceremony.

Dressed all in white, he underwent the purification bath sitting on a wooden bench inside a specially erected pavilion next to the Chakrapat Biman Royal Residence of the Grand Palace.

The sacred water flowed from a canopied showerhead, while the Supreme Patriarch poured water of benediction over his hands.

“King Rama IV, who was a monk for 27 years before ascending the throne, added Buddhist chanting and consecration of the holy water to the Hindu customs of the purification bath,” Suriyavudh said. “He was also the first monarch to crown himself with the Great Crown of Victory offered him by the chief Brahmin. There was no record of previous kings doing this.”

Anointing water is presented to King Bhumibol from the eight cardinal directions of the compass. 

King Bhumibol next changed into regal vestments for the anointing rite in the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall. For this he sat on the octagonal Atha Disa Udumbara Raja Asana Throne, intricately carved of fig wood.

The anointing water was presented to him from the eight cardinal directions of the compass, representing the breadth of the Kingdom, as he turned in a clockwise manner to receive each one, starting from the east.

The chief Brahmin offers King Bhumibol the Great Crown of Victory.

The chief Brahmin then presented him with the Nophapadol Maha Saweta Chatra – the white, nine-tiered parasol and the most important symbol of the supreme sovereign.

Moving to another throne called Bhadrapitha, King Bhumibol was crowned and invested beneath the nine-tiered umbrella. Here the chief Brahmin gave him the royal golden plaques, seal of state, regalia, the royal utensils and the weapons of sovereignty.

The monarch then placed the Great Crown of Victory, known as the Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut, on his own head. This is the second-most important item of the royal regalia.

After giving his first royal command, King Bhumibol pours water as an offering to the Goddess of the Earth to ratify his responsibility to rule the kingdom. 

At this moment King Bhumibol uttered perhaps his best-remembered words: “We will reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people.”

Keepsakes for the ages

Available for free download is a set of four books – “The Royal Coronation Ceremony” in Thai and English version, and two more in Thai  “Knowledge on the Royal Coronation Ceremony” and  “A Collection of Articles about the Royal Coronation Ceremony”.

All are published by the Culture Ministry and available at http://www.m-culture.go.th.

The two products will make their debut at Architect Expo’19.

Jaydsada Plungmanee, managing director of Siam Yamato Steel (SYS), the manufacturer of Hot Rolled Structural Steel, says that SYS has launched the “Steel Solution by SYS”to provide a full range of services for hotrolled structural steel to accommodate various application needs and enhance the standards of the Thai construction industry. Steel Solution continuously develops and invents groundbreaking innovations to provide greater speed, convenience and quality in construction in response to customers’ requirements.

For this reason, Steel Solution recently launched its SYS Primerbond, with excellent corrosion protection that meets international standards and which helps strengthen lifetime usage, shorten the working process and ensures cost effectiveness. SYS has also developed “Solar Carport”, a prefab metal carport with solar power that is strong and can be rapidly installed. Besides, customers can make the most value of their carport with a payback period of 7 years.

To find out more, visit the SYS exhibition booth at booth D2011 (Grid line: J14) at “Architect Expo’19”, which runs at Challenger Halls 13, Muang Thong Thani from today until May 5.

For further information, go to http://www.SysSteel.com.