CHONBURI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - 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.
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 (50 miles) southeast of the capital Bangkok.
Samart Suksawang, mayor of Napa, said the event honours the buffalo's traditional role as beast of burden in rice farming.
Though many farmers now use tractors for rice ploughing, water buffaloes are still kept for other duties like carrying.
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.
Persons:
Samart Suksawang, we've, Noppadorn Ponpaiparn, it's, We're, Napat Wesshasartar, Thomas Suen, Panu, Andrew Cawthorne
Organizations:
CHONBURI, country's Meteorological Department, Thomson
Locations:
Napa, Chonburi, Bangkok