A Thai schoolboy has charmed locals as he rides his pet buffalo to class every morning.

The youngster became known for the unusual mode of transportation as he set off for school each day on the back of his beloved buffalo named Kalamae.

Footage shows the eight-year-old boy named Fluke climbing onto Kalamae's back before heading for the Wat Nong Som School, around a mile away from his home.

The pair traversed residential streets, the neighbours warmly greeting them as they passed by. Kalamae ambled past the rural scenery as Fluke directed him using reins.

When they arrive at the school, the boy tethers his trusty bovine companion at a grassy field near a school gate, where Kalamae patiently grazes until lessons are over.

Fluke's mother, Thanchanok, said: 'At first, Fluke came to school with his uncle, but because he liked Kalamae and was attached to it, he rode it to school every day. He enjoyed it.'

Buffalo are significant in Thai culture, and have long been valued in agricultural communities.