On 27 October 2020, Miss Sweeya Santipitaks, Consul-General of Thailand in Kolkata, presided over the Royal Kathina Ceremony in order to make an offering of the Royal Kathina Robes to the Buddhist monks residing at the Royal Thai Monastery Buddhagaya, Bodhgaya, Gaya, Bihar, India, on behalf of the lay persons in Thailand.

The Royal Kathina Robes were granted by His Majesty King Rama X, as part of the Theravada Buddhist tradition to offer the said robes to the Buddhist monks who have completed the 3-month term of the Buddhist Lent during the same year. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata conducted the ceremony on the lay persons' part on behalf of the Thai pilgrims due to the travel restrictions from Thailand to India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first part of the Royal Kathina Robe offering was completed at Wat Suvarnabhumi Buddhajayanti 989 in Samut Prakarn Province, Thailand, and was presided by Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Krom Phra Srisavangavadhana, the youngest sister to His Majesty King Rama X, on 21 October 2020. The said Royal Kathina Robes were then sent to the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Kolkata, which was meant to bring them to make an offering in from of the Buddhist Sangha at the Royal Thai Monastery Buddhagaya, and thus completing the second and last part of the Royal Kathina Ceremony 2020.

Royal Thai Consulate-General, Kolkata,

30 October 2020