CHIANG MAI, Thailand – The Royal Thai Air Force held a foundation pillar-casting ceremony for the Third Phra Mahathat Chedi (stupa) on Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai province. Air Force Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Seksan Kantha and Air Force Spouses Association President Apissada Kantha presided over the November 11 event, attended by senior military officers, Buddhist monks, government officials, and private-sector representatives.
The ceremony included traditional Buddhist prayers and blessings, along with the tying of ceremonial cloths around nine auspicious pillars. Participants poured consecrated water, applied gold leaf, and placed floral garlands on the primary pillar before taking part in the ceremonial concrete casting.
Members of the Royal Thai Air Force Executive Relations Development Club and its partner organizations also attended. The new stupa will enshrine relics of the Lord Buddha and serve as a place of worship on Thailand’s highest mountain, supporting efforts to preserve Buddhist traditions and carry forward the royal aspiration to uphold Buddhism.
Former Air Force Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul initiated the project, with a foundation stone-laying ceremony held in December 2024. Construction began in April 2026 and is scheduled to continue through August 2028. (NNT)
