But it was part of a warm reception in the historic city, a traditional ceremony meant to ensure his efforts are successful. Toon and his running mates reached a designated resting point in front of a petrol station at Kilometre 41 on Highway 340 at 8.40am. The revered Phrakru Kasem Chanthawimol, abbot of Wat Pom Raman, blessed the group with sacred water and the elephants were aligned so the team could ritually walk beneath them. Toon hopes to raise Bt700 million by the time he reaches the northern tip of Thailand in Chiang Rai. Toon thanked the people of Ayutthaya, saying it was the first time he’d walked under an elephant.

Source: The Nation Bangkok December 07, 2017 05:54 UTC