Thais held an amusing boat rowing competition to mark the Loy Krathong festival.

Villagers gathered around a lake in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand, to watch the boat race in celebration of the annual Loy Krathong festival on November 20.

Video shows the competitors furiously paddling on their wooden boats to reach the finish line that is 100 metres away. Some of the contestants strayed off-course and hit the muddy riverbanks, but managed to catch up to the other players.

On the sidelines, cheering teams from different villages wore colourful costumes and accessories, dancing and shouting to encourage their community representatives to win the race.

Mayor of Hua Thale Subdistrict Ekapop Tomornsak said: ‘The activities held on November 19-20 strictly followed the measures set by the Communicable Disease Committee of Nakhon Ratchasima province to prevent the spread of COVID-19.’