Organised buffalo racing in Chonburi has been taking place for more than 100 years, but the informal races have a history going back even further than that. The buffalo races are steeped in local tradition and have traditionally taken place at the end of the Rains Retreat also known as the end of Buddhist Lent or Awk Phansa.. In days gone by, farmers from all over Chonburi province would gather at the local temple to offer alms to monks and to sell their produce to villagers and the people from the town. Bringing their farm buffaloes with them, the informal races were thought to have begun simply as a way for the farmers to fill in some time on slow days and enjoy some friendly ‘sanuk’. From those humble beginnings, the races are now incorporated into an annual two-week festival worth millions of Baht for the Chonburi economy