The Royal Barge Suphannahong (16/8/2019) Known worldwide as a masterpiece of Thai cultural heritage, the Royal Barge Suphannahong is the principal barge and has taken center place in the Royal Barge Procession since the Ayutthaya period. It is shaped to resemble a golden swan. The name Suphannahong refers to the swan-like mythical steed of the Hindu god Brahma. The barge is made from a single teak trunk, with the surface pattered through wood carving, covered in lacquer painting technique, inlaid with glass mosaic and gilded all over. A spire-shaped edifice or a tier-roofed pavilion sheltering the throne of the King is carried mid-ship. During the Rattanakosin period, King Rama I ordered the Royal Barge Suphannahong built soon after his accession to the throne in 1782. The barge was in constant use as the principal royal barge until it became too old to be repaired. King Rama VI then commanded the construction of the new Royal Barge Suphannahong, which is 15.6 tons in weight, 44.90 meters in length, 3.14 meters at the beam, and 0.90 meters in depth. The new Royal Barge Suphannahong was launched on 13 November 1911 and has been used ever since. It is well-maintained and kept in good operational condition by the Fine Arts Department and the Royal Thai Navy. In the reign of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, the barge Suphannahong was commissioned as the Royal Barge of His Majesty the King in the Royal Barge Procession on the occasion of presenting Kathin robes to Buddhist monks at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and for other important royal ceremonies, such as the Royal Ceremony in Celebration of the Bangkok Bicentennial in 1982. 27/09/2021 Page 1 กรมประชาสัมพันธ์ The Royal Barge Suphannahong has become an outstanding symbol of the Thai cultural heritage. In 1992, the World Ship Trust Maritime Heritage Award \"Suphannahong Royal Barge of the World Ship Trust, under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was bestowed upon this barge \"owing to her beauty and superb craftsmanship. 27/09/2021 Page 2 กรมประชาสัมพันธ์.