Villagers held a boat race outside flooded homes 'to cheer up the neighborhood' amid the rain onslaught in Thailand.

Residents raced in kayaks to cross the deluge in Uthai Thani province on October 2 following more than a week of heavy rain that submerged roads and fields in the area, standing dozens of families.

Local authorities organised the light-hearted event hoping to lift spirits, with the race winners receiving a cash prize of 1,000 THB (around 27 USD).

Footage shows Uthai Thani deputy governor Alongkot Wora wading through the knee-deep floods to dance with the residents - including some energetic elderly ladies.

Boat race contestants used the muddy water as a makeshift track, rowing furiously to best their competition as delighted onlookers laughed.

Heavy rain has been battering large parts of Thailand for the last three months. The torrential weather was compounded by Typhoon Noru, which brought severe deluges to the northeast region causing floods and overflowing rivers.