A guide to visiting Bangkok during the coronation of the king in May

Thailand travellers mark your calendars for the Royal Coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn this May with a series of ceremonial events taking place in Bangkok. The monarch will officially be crowned Rama X, the tenth king, of the Chakri dynasty who have ruled the country since the founding of the Ratanakosin Era in 1782.

The pomp and ceremony begins on Friday, 3 May with a procession from Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) to the Phaisan Thaksin Throne Hall led by 133 soldiers carrying royal items including Phra Suphannabap, the golden sheet inscribed with the King’s name, and the royal seal. On Saturday, 4 May, King Rama X will officially be crowned with a ceremonial bathing rite of purification using consecrated water from the country’s 77 provinces at Chakraphat Phiman Royal Residence in the Grand Palace. A procession will follow from the Amarindra Winitchai Throne Hall to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha led by a battalion of 234 soldiers who will accompany the King.

Sunday, 5 May hosts the largest of the royal processions, and the most public facing, featuring 1368 soldiers led by a marching band, parading the capital’s normally car-dense streets outside the palace compound around Ko Ratanakosin. Monday, 6 May has been designated a national holiday in honour of the coronation, with a final public appearance by the newly-crowned King on the balcony of Sutthaisawan Prasat Hall.

The Grand Palace and its surrounding streets will be closed over the coronation weekend and possibly earlier in advance for preparations. Check the website for details. In other parts of the Thai capital, transport will run as normal, and shopping and tourism site hours are expected to remain the same including many of these top things to do in Bangkok.

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