Historical chronicles dating back to 1863 offer accounts of the Royal Kathin. "All the temples in Bangkok and in the suburbs which have been made or dedicated to the King, expect a splendid visit from His Majesty sometime between the middle of the 11th and 12th moons. This is the season appointed by the most ancient and sacred customs, for the Priests to seek their apparel for the coming year. In conformity with these customs, the King, taking a princely offering of Priest's apparel with him, visits the temples".

Subsequently the practice became more widespread in riverine communities and long boats were used to convey Buddha images in water-borne processions during the kathin ceremony.

In the southern provinces, the Ko-lae and long boat races have been organized annually in Narathiwat Province since1976 in honour of Their Majesties the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family during their visits to the South. These colourful boat races are now one of the main attractions of the province.

Ko-lae fishing boats are found mostly in lower Southern Thailand and in parts of Northern Malaysia. They are long craft built of timber planks with a high bow and stern and painted in bright colours and decorated with Thai or Malay motif. There are two types of ko-lae boats- short bow and long bow. The long bow ko-lae boats are further divided into the Malaysian type with narrow, rigid bows, and the "western" type sporting a wide and graceful bow.

Local self-taught artists, inspired by their surroundings and examples of the craft as seen in traditional plays and shadow plays, are so skilled that they are able to paint the motifs on the ko-lae boats from bow to stern, free-hand, without first tracing the outline of the design. The motif is either of Thai or Malaysian in origin. The bow is carved to resemble the naga, or serpent, or more often a mythical bird.

The more ornately decorated boats are found mainly on the Thai side of the border. The Malaysian boats tend to be plainer, often painted only with coloured stripes. Formerly the Thai boats were painted only with blue, red, or green stripes. Subsequently, the artists began to add lotus and other designs until the forms seen today gradually evolved.

Ko-lae boats have, through the ages, been used for purposes other than fishing. Early Arab traders probably introduced these boats to inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. They were used then for carrying cargo as well as for transporting troops from the Kingdom of Ayutthaya on expeditions to the South, as well as for sending troops to the assistance of the capital in its wars against the Burmese and Cambodians.

Having gained knowledge of boat-building, the people of Southern Thailand became seafarers and engaged in foreign trade. Pattani, formerly a vassal state in the South, was once a centre of trade. From here, the boat-building tradition spread to Ayutthaya in Central Thailand and was adapted for local usage and such boats, elaborately carved and decorated, were then used for royal water-borne processions.

It is surmised that the South adopted the practice of painting and carving the long boats of the Central region and brought it back to the south where these techniques were applied to the ko-lae boats. The carvings on the bow and stern of ko-lae boats closely resemble Central Thai art styles blended with Malay styles. Ko-lae boats on the Malaysian side of the border tend to be less elaborate, possibly a result of the restrictions that the Islamic religion imposes on the depicting of human and animal forms in art.

The Buddhist inhabitants of Southern Thailand have traditionally used ko-lae boats for carrying Buddha images in religious processions and organised boat races during festivities such as the Hari Raya or the equivalent of the Islamic new year celebrations. On such occasions, the boats were used for the races.

Narathiwat and Pattani are the primary centres for the construction of ko-lae boats. However today, many of the ko-lae boats have been modified to accommodate engines. Furthermore as the timber supply from which the boats are constructed becomes scarcer, there is a real danger that the traditional ko-lae boats will gradually fade from the scene. Hence the Narathiwat ko-lae boat race helps to keep the ko-lae tradition alive and preserves this ancient craft.

Long boats were traditionally built for carrying Buddha images in water-borne processions during the kathin (merit-making) ceremony. However, they are also designed for racing. Victory brought fame to the village or temple that owned the boat. The boats thus have a long and sleek appearance. The long boats are usually made by hollowing out a tree trunk. Wooden planks were added as seats for the oarsmen. Before each race, the boat is repainted, with the bow and stern decorated to resemble a lion or other creatures. The outside of the boat is also waxed to reduce drag and increase the ease with which the vessel glides through the water. A long boat has a crew ranging from three to thirty persons, sometimes more. Depending on the occasion, the crew may consist of all males, all females, or a mixed crew.

The owner of the boat carefully selects his crew and training often begins months before a race. Each oarsman is given a permanent position on the boat, opposite another of similar physical attributes. The oarsmen manning the bow and stern are carefully chosen for they are responsible for steering the boat through the water. Victory or defeat in a race depends entirely on their dexterity and judgement.

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