Soothsayers see bounty of food, booming trade

[Coss]

Bountiful rice yields, an abundance of food, a fair amount of water and thriving foreign trade, were predicted for the coming crop year by soothsayers at the Royal Ploughing Ceremony at Sanam Luang yesterday.

 

[color:gray]Two sacred white oxen at the Royal Ploughing Ceremony eat grass and drink liquor, which led to predictions that the country could expect plentiful food supplies and flourishing foreign trade in the year ahead. PHOTOS BY CHANAT KATANYU[/color]

 

The ceremony, which has been performed since the Sukhothai period some 700 years ago, was held in the morning to mark the beginning of the traditional rice planting season and boost the morale of farmers.

 

On behalf of His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the ceremony, accompanied by His Royal Consort HRH Princess Srirasm, and HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha.

 

Two sacred white oxen, named Phra Ko Fah and Phra Ko Sai, were taken to plough the ceremonial ground at Sanam Luang, herded by agriculture and cooperatives permanent secretary Chalermporn Pirunsarn.

 

Mr Chalermporn served in the ceremony as Lord of the Plough, or Phraya Raek Na.

 

Before he arrives at the ceremony, he picks at random a traditional cloth which becomes part of the garment he wears to the ceremony. A Brahmin priest then determines what crops and water conditions are likely in the coming year based on his choice.

 

Mr Chalermporn's choice of cloth led to a prediction that there would be a fair amount of water, bountiful rice yields and an abundance of food in the coming year.

 

The oxen were offered seven dishes and their choices were used to make the predictions.

 

The seven dishes were grass, paddy, maize, sesame seeds, soy bean, water and liquor.

 

The oxen ate grass, which led to a forecast that the country would enjoy an average water supply, plentiful rice yields, and an abundance of fruits and staple foods this year.

 

The oxen also drank liquor, yielding a prediction that communications would be convenient, foreign trade would flourish and the economy would prosper.

 

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[Pom Michael]

In all the years that they have been doing this - has there ever been a year that there wasn't a positive prediction?

[Coss]

"The oxen ate grass"

 

or a year when the Oxen refused to eat grass?

[Flashermac]

 

What would it mean if the oxen had chosen the booze - that we would all get wasted and have a good time?

 

 

p.s. Yes, there have been predications of bad years. I remember drought being predicted one year, along with poor crops. And while this is hardly a very scientific method, the oxen usually are at least as right as the "experts".

 

 

[WorldFun]

if you read carefully liquor was indeed drunk by 1 oxe as well

 

"The oxen were offered seven dishes and their choices were used to make the predictions.

 

The seven dishes were grass, paddy, maize, sesame seeds, soy bean, water and liquor.

 

The oxen ate grass, which led to a forecast that the country would enjoy an average water supply, plentiful rice yields, and an abundance of fruits and staple foods this year.

 

The oxen also drank liquor, yielding a prediction that communications would be convenient, foreign trade would flourish and the economy would prosper.

[Bangkoktraveler]

Sounds good.

[Flashermac]

 

 

<< The oxen also drank liquor, yielding a prediction that communications would be convenient, foreign trade would flourish and the economy would prosper. >.

 

 

Lots of boozing Farangs are coming to play.