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Why two white oxen decide Thailand’s agricultural forecast every May in the Royal Ploughing Ceremony

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Photo by Tris_T7 from Wikipedia

Every May, two sacred white oxen are led across Sanam Luang, the vast ceremonial field opposite Bangkok’s Grand Palace, while Brahmin priests chant in Sanskrit, celestial maidens scatter blessed rice seed, and thousands of spectators wait for the moment the formal procession ends so they can rush onto the field and scoop up handfuls of dirt. This is the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, one of Thailand’s oldest state rituals, and on May 13, 2026, it happens again.

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Known in Thai as Phra Ratcha Phithi Phuetcha Mongkhon Charot Phra Nangkhan Raek Na Khwan (พระราชพิธีจรดพระนังคัลแรกนาขวัญ), the ceremony officially opens Thailand’s rice-planting season and doubles as National Farmers’ Day.

This Thai holiday combines two separate religious traditions, a Buddhist seed-blessing and a Brahmanical ploughing rite, performed on consecutive days.

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