Bangkok: The King and Queen presided over the Royal Ploughing Ceremony of 2025, marking the commencement of the planting season and bringing good fortune to Thai farmers nationwide. His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen traveled by royal vehicle to Sanam Luang to lead the ceremony, a tradition that holds significant cultural importance.
According to Thai News Agency, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony consists of two combined rituals. The first is a Buddhist ceremony held at the Ubosot of Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram on May 8 to bless the crops. The second is a Brahmin ceremony conducted on May 9, between 08.09 and 09.09, which involves the actual ploughing.
This year's ploughing ceremony was conducted by Mr. Prayoon Insakul, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. He was accompanied by the golden-carrying goddess, the silver-carrying goddess, the bearer of the royal regalia, and participants in the procession that included the first ploughing cows, 'Phra Kho Po' and 'Phra Kho Phiang,' both 13-year-old Lamphun white cows.
The divination of the seven food items for the oxen revealed that they consumed water, grass, and liquor. The royal astrologer interpreted this as a sign of a fair amount of water, an abundance of grain, food, and meat, and improved transportation. The forecast also suggested positive trade relations with foreign countries, which would contribute to a prosperous Thai economy.
The Rice Department received royal permission to use 4,880 kilograms of royal rice seeds from the 2024 wet season, sourced from the Royal Chitralada Project. These seeds, consisting of five types of rice and two types of sticky rice, were packed in plastic bags and distributed to the public and farmers for good luck.
In the prediction by Phraya Raek Na, the selection of a 5-cubit-long piece of cloth foretold sufficient water supply and abundant crops and food for the year. Meanwhile, the Brahmin prepared seven types of food for the bull, including rice, beans, sesame, water, grass, liquor, and corn, each symbolizing aspects of production, trade, and the economy.
Since 1966, the Cabinet has designated the Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day as National Farmers' Day to honor the significance of the farming profession and encourage participation in the ceremony for the agricultural sector's prosperity.
On this occasion, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives also presented royal awards to outstanding farmers, agricultural institutions, cooperatives, and agricultural philosophers of the nation for the year 2025.