NEW DELHI: In Chonburi , about an hour from Bangkok, crowds gathered this week to cheer on Thailand ’s most pampered farm animals. The city’s annual Water Buffalo Racing Festival turned its dusty grounds into a vibrant showcase, where speed met style, and the country’s most majestic buffaloes strutted like celebrities.
The event opened with a burst of color: schoolchildren performed traditional dances, while massive buffaloes adorned with flower crowns pulled towering wooden carts carrying elegantly dressed women. But the spotlight soon shifted to the competition pens, where sleek black and snowy white buffaloes waited under the sun for their turn to impress the judges, as reported by CNN .
Among them was Tod, a five-year-old buffalo making his pageant debut. His bright red ears stood out vividly against his dark coat, a small but striking detail that caught many eyes. Tod belongs to Thawatchai Daeng-Ngam, a food vendor and farmer who raises buffaloes more out of affection than ambition. “Although buffaloes can still work in the field, they cannot compete with machines,” he said. “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.”
From work beasts to beauty kingsFor generations, water buffaloes were the backbone of Thai farming , tilling rice paddies and hauling produce across muddy fields. But when tractors replaced muscle with machinery, the animals’ importance waned, and many ended up sold for meat. Festivals like the one in Chonburi have given them a new purpose, turning them into symbols of pride rather than tools of labor.
The shift has also created a small but thriving industry. The Thai government established Buffalo Conservation Day in 2017 and has since encouraged breeding and grooming programs. Farmers now receive guidance on care, nutrition, and presentation, everything from diet to horn maintenance matters.
Caretaker Kijchai Angkhanawin, who tends to some of the most prized animals, explained that judges look closely at physique, horn symmetry, and even hoof smoothness. “Each animal needs daily baths and a special feed of corn, soybeans, bran, and vitamins,” he said, gently hosing down one of the towering contestants to keep it cool.
Racing, rivalry, and rising valueThe festival isn’t only about looks. A 100-meter sprint down a dirt track brings an adrenaline rush, as jockeys cling tightly while their buffaloes thunder toward the finish line. Nearby, owners polish their animals for the beauty rounds, hoping for prestige, or perhaps profit.
Pitun Rassamee entered his three-year-old albino buffalo, Lookaew, meaning “marble” in Thai, with dreams of another win. Lookaew already held local titles, and Pitun was aiming for a top-five finish. His optimism wasn’t misplaced: last year, an albino buffalo fetched a record 18 million baht ($672,000) after dominating multiple pageants.
Keeping tradition aliveBehind the festivities lies a larger purpose, preserving a connection between farmers and the creatures that once sustained them. Papada Srisophon, assistant to a village chief near Chonburi’s livestock training center, said the festival keeps that bond alive. “Each year it has become bigger and bigger,” she noted. “Without this activity, they won’t know what to do with their buffaloes, and they won’t be motivated to keep their buffaloes.” as cited by CNN.
As the judges in bolo ties made their final rounds and families took photos beside the massive beasts, one thing was clear: Thailand’s water buffaloes are no longer relics of a fading past, they’ve become living emblems of resilience, beauty, and belonging.
The event opened with a burst of color: schoolchildren performed traditional dances, while massive buffaloes adorned with flower crowns pulled towering wooden carts carrying elegantly dressed women. But the spotlight soon shifted to the competition pens, where sleek black and snowy white buffaloes waited under the sun for their turn to impress the judges, as reported by CNN .
Among them was Tod, a five-year-old buffalo making his pageant debut. His bright red ears stood out vividly against his dark coat, a small but striking detail that caught many eyes. Tod belongs to Thawatchai Daeng-Ngam, a food vendor and farmer who raises buffaloes more out of affection than ambition. “Although buffaloes can still work in the field, they cannot compete with machines,” he said. “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.”
From work beasts to beauty kingsFor generations, water buffaloes were the backbone of Thai farming , tilling rice paddies and hauling produce across muddy fields. But when tractors replaced muscle with machinery, the animals’ importance waned, and many ended up sold for meat. Festivals like the one in Chonburi have given them a new purpose, turning them into symbols of pride rather than tools of labor.
The shift has also created a small but thriving industry. The Thai government established Buffalo Conservation Day in 2017 and has since encouraged breeding and grooming programs. Farmers now receive guidance on care, nutrition, and presentation, everything from diet to horn maintenance matters.
Caretaker Kijchai Angkhanawin, who tends to some of the most prized animals, explained that judges look closely at physique, horn symmetry, and even hoof smoothness. “Each animal needs daily baths and a special feed of corn, soybeans, bran, and vitamins,” he said, gently hosing down one of the towering contestants to keep it cool.
Racing, rivalry, and rising valueThe festival isn’t only about looks. A 100-meter sprint down a dirt track brings an adrenaline rush, as jockeys cling tightly while their buffaloes thunder toward the finish line. Nearby, owners polish their animals for the beauty rounds, hoping for prestige, or perhaps profit.
Pitun Rassamee entered his three-year-old albino buffalo, Lookaew, meaning “marble” in Thai, with dreams of another win. Lookaew already held local titles, and Pitun was aiming for a top-five finish. His optimism wasn’t misplaced: last year, an albino buffalo fetched a record 18 million baht ($672,000) after dominating multiple pageants.
Keeping tradition aliveBehind the festivities lies a larger purpose, preserving a connection between farmers and the creatures that once sustained them. Papada Srisophon, assistant to a village chief near Chonburi’s livestock training center, said the festival keeps that bond alive. “Each year it has become bigger and bigger,” she noted. “Without this activity, they won’t know what to do with their buffaloes, and they won’t be motivated to keep their buffaloes.” as cited by CNN.
As the judges in bolo ties made their final rounds and families took photos beside the massive beasts, one thing was clear: Thailand’s water buffaloes are no longer relics of a fading past, they’ve become living emblems of resilience, beauty, and belonging.
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