Photos: Thai buffalo race marks start of rice growing season

More than 60 buffaloes took part in the race along a 200-meter dirt track

Last updated: August 07, 2023 | 12:03

2 MIN READ

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Chonburi: Thai farmers marked the beginning of rice cultivation during the monsoon season on Sunday with their annual water buffaloes race which dates back to the 1800s.

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More than 60 buffaloes took part in the race along a 200-meter dirt track in the Napa sub-district of Chonburi province, some 80 kilometres southeast of the capital Bangkok.

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Samart Suksawang, mayor of Napa, said the event honours the buffalo's traditional role as beast of burden in rice farming.

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"The purpose is to conserve cultural traditions, allowing the younger generation to understand that we've been practicing rice cultivation with the help of buffaloes for a long time within our local communities," he said.

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Though many farmers now use tractors for rice ploughing, water buffaloes are still kept for other duties like carrying.

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At the race, young men ran behind pairs of buffaloes, yoked at the neck, using whips to drive them through a waterlogged track. Between races, they splashed water on the animals.

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"When it's hot, we have to pour the water to make the fatigue go away," said racer Noppadorn Ponpaiparn, 26.

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A jockey reacts after competing in Chonburi's annual buffalo race festival.

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"Just like boxers, during breaks, we have to wipe them." The race took place in hot dry weather, with a 5% drop in rainfall forecast for the July-October monsoon, according to the country's Meteorological Department.

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"It's so much fun and exhilarating," said spectator Ratsamee Chomkhun, 48. "But it's also surprising. We're afraid the buffaloes might jump towards us, but the staff are keeping them under control."

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