A herd of elephants enjoyed a refreshing bath in a river during soaring summer temperatures in northern Thailand.

Footage shows the jumbos splashing their trunks in the water while their caretakers scrub their backs with herbal soap as the heat reached levels higher than 30 degrees Celsius in Chiang Mai province on March 17.

The herd was part of dozens of jumbos being taken care of at Mae Taeng Elephant Camp which was being taken to the river for a swim at least twice a day to help them cool off.

Elephant camp manager Wassana Thongsuk said they currently take care of 46 young and adult jumbos and the baths help the animals cope with stress during the hot season.

He said: 'We bathe the jumbos two to three times a day to help them relax and reduce stress when the weather is hot. The high temperature causes risks of heatstroke so we want to avoid that.'

Wassana added that tourists could come to their camp and experience bathing the elephants on the Mae Taeng river.

Thailand is a tropical country and is typically warm throughout the year but the hot season of summer peaks from April to June.