Relic of the Buddha loaned by China gets a warm welcome in Thailand

BANGKOK -- More than 2,000 people took part Wednesday in a procession to escort a relic of the Buddha lent by China to a shrine in the Thai capital Bangkok to honor the birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and to celebrate half a century of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China.

The tooth relic, considered sacred by Buddhists, was flown in earlier in the day from the Lingguang Temple in Beijing, which normally houses it. Loans of the tooth as a show of friendship have been an effective form of soft diplomacy by China, even though competing claims from various countries on possessing the Buddha’s tooth raise questions about its provenance.

The tooth was put in an ornate, golden container and placed on a flower-bedecked float as it was paraded through one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city.

Attendants flanked the vehicle as it travelled about 2 1/2 kilometers (1 1/2-miles) to the relic’s temporary home, a soaring pavilion on Sanam Luang, a large field outside Bangkok’s famous Grand Palace.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and members of her cabinet received the relic amid the sounds of chanting monks. Representatives of China, including Beijing’s ambassador to Thailand, were also present, according to local media.

The loan is the latest in a series of events to mark the 72nd birthday of the Thai king. It also commemorates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China, which occurs next year. It was previously displayed in Thailand in 2002 to mark the 75th birthday of Vajiralongkorn's father, King Bhumibol, who died in 2016.

The relic will be on public display at the pavilion until mid-February.