Festival-goers battled to hold up a marquee being battered by a storm in Thailand.

The locals were holding the annual Rocket Festival at a field in Chachoengsao province when dark grey clouds began rolling in at midday on June 11.

After the opening ceremony, the villagers excitedly blasted their homemade PVC rockets into the sky. However, heavy rain struck the venue shortly after, ruining the festivities.

Footage shows the frantic locals holding down tents at the festival's market area. However, the persistent winds toppled over some of the stalls, forcing the vendors to pack up for safety.

A motocross racing event scheduled in the afternoon had to be cancelled due to the muddy track.

Bunnak Phonphotthanamat, the chief executive of Klongtakrao Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, said: 'We were not too sad because calling for rain is the reason we hold the rocket festival in the first place.'

Thailand's Rocket Festival is held annually to honour Phaya Thaen, the Buddhist deity of rainmaking, as farmers and villagers pray for rain for a bountiful harvest. They believe the rockets will reach the clouds and help to stimulate impending monsoon downpours, which last until October or November.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are approaching their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms in the afternoon leading to widespread flash floods.