Sacred oxen augur good times ahead for Thailand

Thai palace astrologers on Monday predicted a strong harvest after a pair of sacred oxen munched on grass and drank water and liquor in an annual ritual that tests the omens for the kingdom.

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the colourful “royal ploughing ceremony”, which saw Brahmin priests head a procession of the white oxen around a field outside Bangkok’s Grand Palace.

The ceremony is held every year in Thailand, one of the world’s top rice exporters, to mark the start of the growing season.

Thailand’s new monarch King Maha Vajiralongkorn oversaw the ceremony. THAI NEWS PIX/AFP/Panupong CHANGCHAI

Royal soothsayers base their predictions on which foods the animals choose to eat after the ploughing, when they are offered bowls of rice, maize, green beans, sesame, liquor, water and grass.

This year the bulls chose water, grass and liquor, according to officials.

“The royal prediction is that rice, fruit and food will be plentiful,” said Thanit Anekwit from the Agriculture Ministry.

The liquor also “means communication and trade with foreign countries will be facilitated well,” he added.

Thais believe the ceremony predicts what the year’s harvest will be like. THAI NEWS PIX/AFP/Panupong CHANGCHAI

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After the ceremony crowds swarmed the field, as is tradition, to collect ‘lucky’ grains of rice that had been scattered over the soil during the ploughing.

Thailand’s constitutional monarchy has few legal powers but wields vast influence behind the scenes and is also extremely wealthy.

The status of the crown is buttressed by elaborate ceremonies and palace protocols.

Royals are also protected from any criticism by a draconian defamation law that can land offenders decades behind bars.