An elaborate centuries-old royal ritual in Thailand’s capital predicts a good year for farmers

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An elaborate centuries-old royal ritual in Thailand’s capital predicts a good year for farmers

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided Friday over an elaborate annual ceremony that marks the start of the rice-planting season and honors the nation’s farmers.The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is held to read auguries that predict the farming conditions for the year ahead. As is usually the case, good times were predicted, even though Thailand’s economy is sluggish.The King and Queen Suthida were sheltered from the bright sun by ornate umbrellas at the ceremony’s traditional venue, Sanam Luang, or “Royal Ground,” a large field near the Grand Palace in the capital Bangkok.According to Thai historians, the ritual goes back ..