This is the hilarious moment an 'Instagram vs Reality' meme unfolded in real life when a lantern caught fire before it took off.

Footage shows the elegant lanterns soaring smoothly into the sky at the Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on November 21.

But when one visitor, Filipino language teacher Phim, tried to release hers it resulted in an anticlimactic flop, even catching fire.

Organisers quickly rushed to the scene of the lantern fail and extinguished the blaze as the video ended.

They joked: 'The struggle is real. This was literally Instagram versus reality. The festival looks so romantic on social media but when we tried to do it, the lantern didn't take off and then caught fire.

The Yi Peng Festival is an annual Buddhist event celebrated in Chiang Mai. It takes place on the full moon of the 12th month of the Lanna Lunar Calendar, usually in November.

One of the main highlights of the Yi Peng Festival is the release of thousands of sky lanterns into the night sky. These lanterns, made from rice paper and bamboo, are lit with a flame inside and released to float gracefully into the air.

The lantern release is accompanied by prayers and wishes for good fortune, and the sight of thousands of lanterns floating in the night sky is seen as a symbol of letting go of misfortunes and starting anew.