A view of the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok during a royal procession in 1968, with Wat Arun in the background. The barge is the Suphannahong, which the King of Thailand still uses today for special ceremonies. The occasion was the 200th anniversary of the birth of King Rama II (born 1767). To mark this anniversary, the gilded crown was placed atop the main tower of Wat Arun, which was undergoing extensive restoration at the time. The temple was built during the Ayutthaya period (14th–18th centuries); however, its characteristic central tower structure did not take on its present form until the early 19th century. To the left of it is Wang Derm Palace, which served as the main residence of the kings of the Thonburi Kingdom in the late 18th century. After the capital was moved to the other side of the river, it lost this function; today it houses the headquarters of the Royal Thai Navy.
A view of the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok during a royal procession in 1968, with Wat Arun in the background. The barge is the Suphannahong, which the King of Thailand still uses today for special ceremonies. The occasion was the 200th anniversary of the birth of King Rama II (born 1767). To mark this anniversary, the gilded crown was placed atop the main tower of Wat Arun, which was undergoing extensive restoration at the time. The temple was built during the Ayutthaya period (14th–18th centuries); however, its characteristic central tower structure did not take on its present form until the early 19th century. To the left of it is Wang Derm Palace, which served as the main residence of the kings of the Thonburi Kingdom in the late 18th century. After the capital was moved to the other side of the river, it lost this function; today it houses the headquarters of the Royal Thai Navy.