As Custodian of the Buddhist Faith in Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol is, by standing practice, the first person to make merit by offering new robes to monks. At a unique Thord Gathin ceremony in Bangkok, H.M. The King will travel to one of the Royal Temples and offer fresh robes to the Abbot and monks. The merit making ceremony itself is as simple and humble as in any temple in the nation, however, when travelling by river (not every year as the Sovereign may visit a temple not served by water), the King's progress to the temple is rich in protocol, tradition and pageantry it is the Royal Barge Procession.

Thailand is a nation bisected by rivers, canals and waterways so the custom of royal water-borne transport is centuries old (dating as far back as the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods). Nowadays, this spectacular event is during the Thord Gathin ceremonials when His Majesty leaves his official residence at the Grand Palace and goes to offer robes at Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn).
The waters of the great Chao Phraya River host a scene that has few rivals in terms of historic spectacle, pageantry, splendour and colour. It is a scene from Old Siam re-enacted with pomp and regal majesty amid the bustle of modern Bangkok's busy river.

The Royal Barge Procession consists of 51 exquisitely crafted and decorated vessels with such wonderful sounding names as "Victory on the Celestial River" and "Appreciation of the Moonlight". Grandest of all these grand craft is Suphanahongs (Golden Swan) which carries H.M. the King. The Royal Barge Suphanahongse, mirrored and gilded in the image of a mythical Golden Swan, is attended by two officers and is crewed by 50 oarsmen, two helmsmen, a flagman, a signalman and a chanter (who chants the rhythm of the oar strokes). A crystal tassel, braided and tufted with yak's hair at the end, is suspended from the swan's golden beak as soon as the Monarch boards the vessel. With helmeted, crimson uniformed oarsmen, their gold and silver oars rising and falling in unison to the voice of the chanter, H.M. King Bhumibol seated on a canopied throne; the Golden Swan, Suphanahongse, is a sight to behold.

The procession of the Royal Barge fleet (over one kilometre in length) glides in formation of three parallel rows the most important barges occupying the middle row (the Naga-head barge Anantanagaraj follows behind the Golden Swan and carries the King's Thord Gathin gifts of robes for the monks) and the Anekajatphuchong third in line with other members of the Royal Family and nobility aboard. The outer rows consist of "security" barges with such tasks as "warding off evil"; "drum bearer" and "soldier carrier" and many of these beautiful barges are named for the duties they traditionally performed.