The barge procession dates back to Thailand's 1350-1767 Ayutthaya period. When Bangkok was built more than 250 years ago, kings used the boats to travel through the capital's network of canals.
Those concerns have now cast a shadow over what was marketed as one of the biggest Thai dramas of the year. "The Empress of Ayodhaya" tells a story about royal tensions in the Ayutthaya period ...