The Royal Coronation Ceremony was held on May 4 this year but celebrations and related ceremonies will be going on during the whole year until May 4, 2020. To commemorate the coronation and express loyalty and honour, THAI, the national carrier under the Ministry of Transport, has received permission to deck up its Boeing 777-300 aircraft “Lahan Sai” in the Suphannahong Royal Barge aircraft livery.
The coronation livery will be on till the end of 2022, representatives of the THAI confirmed. “Lahan Sai” aircraft will operate roundtrip flights to Seoul, Taipei, Beijing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Sapporo.
The Suphannahong Royal Barge was originally known as “Si Suphannahong” or “Chai Suphannahong Royal Barge”. It is used to be the principal King’s royal barge since the Ayutthaya era. King Rama V ordered to rebuild the Suphannahong Royal Barge and the construction of the current version was completed during the reign of King Rama VI.
The Suphannahong Royal Barge is 46.15 metres long, 3.17 metres wide, and weighs 15 tonnes. In October 2019, it will be one of the barges to take part in the royal procession along the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun when robes will be presented to Buddhist monks as a part of the annual Royal Kathin ceremony.
It is the second time in history that THAI paints the Suphannahong Royal Barge aircraft livery on its aircraft. For the first time it appeared on Boeing 747-400 “Haripunchai” on the auspicious occasion of the Sixth Cycle Birthday of King Rama IX in 1999.
Photo @nationthailand.com
Thai Airways Aircraft Decks Up in Suphannahong Royal Barge Livery
News in Asia
Thai Airways, the flag carrier airline of Thailand, commemorates the coronation of His Majesty the King with in a new livery featuring the Suphannahong Royal Barge, one of the principal royal barges.