On 9th May of this year. King Bhumibol oversees the ancient Ploughing Ceremony to mark the beginning of the rice-planting season. This ceremony began in India, but it has been practiced in Thailand for hundreds of years. The ceremony is very important for Thai farmers, because it predicts how much rain will fall and how well the crops will grow. Thousands of farmers come to the Grand Palace to watch.
Before the ceremony, Phraya Raekna would have to choose between a four-keup-long, five-kueb-long and six-kueb-long cloth. From the length of the cloth chosen by the Phraya Raekna, it was predicted that there would be plenty of water this year, highland rice crops would be bountiful while lowland rice crops would sustain some damage.
During the ceremony, the oxen, Rung and Roj, would be given seven foods and drink, i.e. grass, rice, corn, beans, sesame, liquor and water to choose from. After the ceremony ends, the crowds scramble for the seeds sown by the Ploughing Lord as the seeds are regarded as things that will bring the owners wealth and good luck. The farmers will mix the seeds with their own rice to ensure a good crop in the coming year.
