Last Updated:
The festival, held at the end of the 11th lunar month to mark the start of the harvest season, highlights the important role water buffaloes once played in Thai agriculture
Thai buffalo racers compete in a sprint event during an annual buffalo racing festival in Chonburi, Thailand. (AP photo)
Once considered humble work animals, water buffaloes are now celebrated as cultural treasures in Thailand. Their transformation from draft animals to pageant stars was on full display at the annual water buffalo racing festival in Chonburi, a city about an hour’s drive from Bangkok.
Among the stars was 5-year-old Tod, a glossy black buffalo with striking red ears, competing in his first beauty pageant. His owner, Thawatchai Daeng-Ngam, a local food vendor and farmer, proudly watched as Tod stood alongside other carefully groomed buffaloes, all vying for top honours.
Recommended Stories
The festival, held at the end of the 11th lunar month to mark the start of the harvest season, highlights the important role water buffaloes once played in Thai agriculture.
Traditionally used for ploughing fields and carrying heavy loads, buffaloes have largely been replaced by machines. Now, those not sold for meat are bred and trained for pageants and races.
The event began with a vibrant parade featuring traditional Thai dancing by local students. Buffaloes, some wearing flower crowns, pulled massive wooden carriages carrying elegantly dressed riders in Thai attire. Crowds gathered to watch as jockeys raced bareback on buffaloes down a 100-metre track, with spectators cheering from the sidelines.
The shift towards showcasing buffaloes has brought renewed interest in the animals. “Although buffaloes can still work in the field, they cannot compete with machines,” said Thawatchai. “Buffaloes are still important to me. It’s like what they said: ‘People raise buffaloes, and buffaloes raise people.’ It’s like a family member.”
At the festival, buffaloes were judged on horn size, hoof smoothness and overall physique. Caretakers bathed them, fed them special diets, and prepared them for the spotlight. Prized albino buffaloes, like one sold last year for 18 million baht (around $672,000), are highly sought after in the show circuit.
The Thai government has supported this growing industry by launching Thai Buffalo Conservation Day in 2017 and offering breeding support to local farmers.
“Each year it has become bigger and bigger,” said Papada Srisophon, a local official. “Without this activity, they won’t know what to do with their buffaloes, and they won’t be motivated to keep their buffaloes.”
(With inputs from The Associated Press)
About the Author
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
Thailand
October 06, 2025, 23:45 IST
Loading comments…
Read More
 "World facing major strategic shifts, clear-eyed Indian response needed, says Jaishankar at JNU summit")
