Thai king postpones royal barge procession

BANGKOK: Thailand's newly crowned king has postponed next week's final event marking his historic coronation -- a royal barge procession down Bangkok's Chao Phraya river -- by almost two months, a deputy premier announced Thursday.

The 52-barge procession was scheduled for October 24, and on Thursday Thai oarsmen donning hats and gold-flecked attires rowed down the Chao Phraya river for the first full-dress rehearsal.

But deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam later told reporters the procession has been moved to mid-December due to worries over the "water conditions and weather". "After 10 small rehearsals and a final rehearsal today, we realised the procession would not maintain the traditional formation and beauty and the event should wait," he said.