This second Royal Barge scheme was unveiled around May 2000 in association with the national "Amazing Thailand" tourism campaign, capitalizing on the success of the Royal Barge Jumbos. Thailand's Royal Barge Procession is a ceremony of both religious and royal significance which has taken place for nearly 700 years. The Royal Barges are a blend of craftsmanship and traditional Thai art.
A Royal Barge Procession took place for the APEC Meeting on 20 October 2003. The barge displayed on this A330 was a replica of the Narai Song Suban Royal Barge built in 1996, which is one of three secondary Royal Barges, and the only built during Rama IX's era. It was launched to coincide with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Bhumibol Adulyadej's accession to the throne. The barge has the Garuda and a statue of Narayana as forehead figures.
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