A football match was halted when bees swarmed around a goalpost.

The organisers had to call off the game between Nonthaburi College and Pathumkongka School due to insect attacks during the 16-year-old Category Football Interschool Tournament in Pathum Thani, Thailand on February 5.

The colony was disturbed, causing them to attack players when their hive, attached to the goalpost, was shaken up by the ball's impact on the net.

Footage shows one of the referees igniting hay on a stick and swinging it in the air to burn the nest and flying bees next to the post for several minutes.

Despite successfully burning the nest, the bees continued to attack the athletes, prompting the school to postpone the game for safety reasons.

Only female bees have stingers, and they attack to defend their colony when threatened.

The venom of these insects contains enzymes that destroy red blood cells and skin mast cells. It also contains histamines, which increase blood flow and cause swelling and redness. Bee stings usually heal on their own without complications.