CELEBRATING RELIGION AND ROYALTY

The Chao Phraya is a star attraction in the capital throughout the year as it serves as a prominent location for a number of religious festivals, royal commemorations and holiday celebrations.

Prominent among these is the annual Loy Krathong Festival in November when people pay their respects to the goddess of the waters by floating candlelit decorations on the Chao Phraya River and other waterways across the kingdom. The word Loy literally means “to float” and Krathong means raft. Celebrants purchase small circular crown-shaped rafts made from a variety of materials that are decorated with banana leaves, candles, flowers and incense sticks.

Some believe the ceremony provides an opportunity to ask for forgiveness for wrongful acts they may have committed over the year. Others claim that adorning the Buddha with light, as represented by the candle on the floating krathong, represents the release of negative feelings. The sight of candle-lit krathongs floating down the river, with the illuminated buildings in the background, is a sight not to be missed.

The Thai New Year – Songkran – is celebrated annually from the 13-15 April when the whole country comes together to mark one of the most colourful festivals on the calendar. Houses are cleaned, Buddha images are washed and annual rites are performed to pay respect to ancestors and elders, with water symbolising luck and renewal. This is a particularly good time to head to the river as the waterway has a prominent role in the spiritual and cultural activities.

This is also one of the hottest times of the year and the cooling breezes of the river provide respite from the intense heat.

The second day of Songkran is officially National Family Day when families wake up early to give alms to monks. This provides priceless photo opportunities as the sun rises over the Chao Phraya and saffron-clad monks file silently to collect offerings from people in the nearby streets. As the river is also home to Bangkok’s most important temples, this is a great time to watch the important religious ritual of “Bathing the Buddha image” in which devout Buddhists pour fragrant water over Buddha statues at many riverside temples.