The Royal Barge Museum

The Royal Barge Museum houses the stunningly decorated boats that are reserved for auspicious ceremonies and state occasions like the very rare Royal Barge Procession.

Each is carved from huge pieces of teak and their prows are engraved with mythical creatures that are gilded in gold and skilfully decorated with tiny shimmering pieces of glass. The barges are rowed by up to 50 specially trained oarsmen drawn from the Thai Royal Navy. As the boats rarely leave their dry dock, this museum is an important facility to see these unique vessels. Each of the eight royal barges has a sign indicating the name of the boat, the year of construction and the number of crew required to operate it. The largest and most impressive barge is Suphannahonse. This vessel is 46 metres long and requires 50 oarsmen and 14 crew members to sail it. The museum features photos and information about past royal processions and state occasions, as well as the techniques used to sail the barges.