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"The Empress of Ayodhaya" tells a story about royal tensions in the Ayutthaya period, inspired by the story of a 16th century Siamese queen.

Ms. Pimpa works at an office in Ayutthaya Province, about eight hours away by car, and said she made video calls to her sons everyday, visiting when she could.

The next afternoon, after a delicious lunch at Rung Reung Pork Noodle — a bare-bones, plastic-stool, fan-blasting haven for pork meatballs, noodles and broth — we set off toward Wat Arun, a temple built during the Ayutthaya era on the bank of the Chao Phraya River.

The celebration at the Jirasartwitthaya school in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, has run for more than 15 years and was especially important the last two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its virtual learning and lockdowns.

“We know students have been stressed because of online classes, so we are hoping this event can make them happy and encourage them to come to school,” said the event’s organiser, Reangrhongbaht Meepan from the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace.