A shaman ate raw buffalo meat in an ancient thanksgiving ceremony in Thailand.

Video shows the mystic tucking into the uncooked flesh of the slaughtered male buffalo and drinking rice wine to honour the spirits of Doi Suthep mountain in Chiang Mai province on June 20.

Devotees held dances and a procession in which flowers, fruits, desserts, and rice were offered to the entities believed to reside in the forest.

Buddhist monk Phra Kru Aphapat Rattanathada, abbot of the Wat Ton Pin temple, led a prayer before the locals hung up a scroll depicting the 'pacification of the relatives of Buddha'.

A ceremony to bless the visitors was later conducted.

The ritual has been held for more than 100 years, and has drawn both foreign and local tourists this year.

It is held to thank 'Grandmother Sae' and 'Grandfather Sae' - two giant spirits believed to be protectors of Doi Suthep mountain.

According to local legends, the couple and their children tried to eat the Buddha. However, they were thwarted and were prohibited from eating humans as punishment. Instead, they asked to eat buffaloes, which is believed to be the origin of the buffalo-eating ceremony.