Annual Water Buffalo Race Kick-Starts Rice Cultivation Season in Thailand

Published: 8/6/2024, 4:41:11 PM EDT

To celebrate the start of the rice cultivation season, Thai farmers raced water buffaloes on Sunday, Aug. 4.

Over 50 buffaloes competed along a 200-meter (656-feet) muddy track in the Napa sub-district of Chonburi province, located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Bangkok.

The race serves as a reminder of the buffalo's historical role in agriculture, dating back to the 1800s, according to the governor of the Provincial Administrative Organization of Chonburi.