Thailand has many ceremonies to mark the start of the agricultural season, but the biggest one, which is a “royal ceremony,” is the Phra Ratcha Phithi Charot Phra Nangkhan Raek Na Khwan or the Royal Ploughing Ceremony. The Royal Ploughing ceremonial is a combination of the Hindu Raek Na Khwan ceremonial and the Buddhist Phuetcha Mongkhon ceremony.

        The Royal Ploughing Ceremony beautifully illustrates the monarch's connection to the land and its people. By personally initiating the farming season, the King inspires confidence in agriculture, invites prosperity, and uplifts the spirits of the farming community.

        Another highlight of this royal ceremony is the fortune-telling of the court Brahmins' clothes and the 7 food items of the sacred oxen, which will become headline news after the ceremony.

        The "seven foods" set up to feed the sacred oxen were rice, corn, green beans, sesame, spirits, water, and grass. If the sacred oxen ate any of them, the following prediction would be made:

  • The oxen eat rice or corn, predicting that grains and fruits will be plentiful.

  • The oxen eat beans or sesame, predicting that fruits and food will be plentiful.

  • The oxen eat water or grass, predicting that there will be enough water, food and meat will be plentifull.

  • The oxen eat liquor, predicting that transportation will be more convenient, trade with foreign countries will improve, leading to a prosperous economy.

        This year, let's find out what the oxen will eat and what the predictions are on Friday, May 9, 2025, starting at 8:00 a.m. onwards via the Television Pool of Thailand, the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, and various online media.

Written, translated, and illustrated by: Ratchanok T.