More than 2,000 people in Bangkok participated in a procession to escort a relic of the Buddha lent by China to a shrine in the Thai capital to honor the birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and celebrate fifty years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. The sacred tooth relic was flown in from Beijing and placed on a flower-bedecked float for the parade through the city’s oldest neighborhood. The relic was received by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and members of her cabinet, as well as representatives from China. This loan is part of the celebrations marking the Thai king’s 72nd birthday and the upcoming 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. The relic will be on public display until mid-February. Loans of the Buddha’s tooth have been a form of soft diplomacy for China, despite conflicting claims about its provenance. The relic was previously displayed in Thailand in 2002 to mark the birthday of Vajiralongkorn’s father, King Bhumibol. The event highlights the strong cultural and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Source
Photo credit wtop.com