Footage shows 'chain gangs' of prisoners clearing sewers today to tackle the flooding problem in Bangkok, Thailand.

The inmates from the tough Bang Kwang Central Prison volunteered for the dirty work of unclogging underground pipes across the country's capital city.

They had to wear prison uniforms labelling them as convicts doing community service but also received wages for the day's toil under the sun as temperatures soared to 34 degrees Celsius.

The drain clearing work started on July 1 following a proposal by the country's Department of Corrections. The council can bypass the bidding process from contractors and use prisoners for the work instead.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt approved the use of inmates as part of his plan to clean a 2,000km (1,242 miles) network of drainage pipes that are blocked with sewage, dead animals, cooking oil, cooking fat, leaves and other gruesome debris. The blockages are blamed for chronic flooding in the city.

Department of Corrections chief Aryut Sinthopphan said only convicts with records of good behaviour and those who volunteer for the work are used. They also receive wages, safety equipment and welfare benefits.

The government chief added: 'Prisoners can save their wages to support themselves when they are released.'

He said that the cleaning work was focused on 'rehabilitation and not punishment'.

Several prison guards watched over the jailbirds to prevent them from running or seeing relatives.

Chain gangs were first used in Australia and the United States in the 19th century. The penal labour was slowly phased out and North Carolina was the last state to use them as a form of punishment in the 1970s. Sporadic attempts to re-introduced chain gangs in southern states have failed.