Delighted farmers harvested giant mushrooms 'bigger than a person's face' from their fields in northeast Thailand.

Villagers were surprised when they discovered the humongous 'king bolete' or 'penny bun' mushrooms sprouting from cornfields in Phayao province in the country's northeastern region on June 28.

They harvested the white fungi of various sizes and states of growth, ranging from smaller, partially bloomed mushrooms to the humongous specimens that unravelled like mini umbrellas, with thick stems the size of a person's arm.

Resident Kiatiphum Khunkrit consulted with the village elders, who said the mushrooms were safe to eat.

Locals described the mushrooms as having a pleasant aroma.

Kiatiphum said: 'These mushrooms can be grilled or used in dishes such as kaeng (curry) or yum (spicy salad). I've never seen any mushrooms as big as the ones we found. The largest one we got was 12 inches long with a cap spanning nine inches.'

King bolete (Boletus edulis) is said to be one of the safest wild mushrooms to pick as only a few poisonous species resemble its appearance. Its cap is club-like and convex, but flattens and widens with age.

The king bolete is widely distributed across the northern hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and North America, and is commonly found in cool to subtropical regions.