Villagers held an amusing blindfolded boxing competition during an annual sports event in Thailand.

Hilarious video shows the athletes - two each from the red and blue corners - feeling their way inside the ring and jabbing at unseen foes as they wore eye masks that blocked their sight.

A referee was also in the ring to guide the fighters, who were not allowed to use their elbows and knees to strike.

The unique sport was organised by local officials in Phichit province on August 7 as part of the festivities for the yearly boat racing contests in the province being held from August to September.

All boxers from Phichit and neighbouring provinces - male, female, local, and foreign - were invited to participate in the matches.

However, on the day of the event, organisers found there were too many contestants from the local boxing gyms, who sent their own representatives 'to gain more experience.'

The organisers compensated by adding more bouts and allowing the boxers to fight in pairs, with the chaotic brawls providing entertainment for local boxing fans.

The next part of the weeks-long sports event is a long-tailed boat race which will be held on the Nan River in front of the Wat Tha Luang temple on September 2 to 3.