1. Buffalo Racing Festival By Miss Pittiya Loiklinmonkol No.11 Class 5/9 Present Teacher Jantana Khamanukul

2. If someone called me a “buffalo”, when someone is acting like an idiot, we call them “buffalo” or kwai in Thai. I am not sure how this tradition started. I can understand why a teacher calls a naughty student “monkey” but is a buffalo really stupid?

3. As a city boy, pictures of them ploughing the rice paddies and pulling heavy carts. They looked like hard working animals. Maybe people call buffaloes stupid because they are slow animals. Anyway, that is what

4. Of all the festivals in Thailand, the Buffalo Racing is the most amazing. It all started over a hundred years ago when there were two men arguing about whose buffalo was the fastest. They ended up having a race between the two buffaloes. That’s how it became a tradition.

5. When we first arrived it looked just like the temple fair we have in Samut Prakan. There were bumper cars and shooting galleries and a lot more. But, there were a few differences. I was amazed to see a boxing ring, which really interested me. It was so exciting to have a chance to watch real boxing. This was the first time in my life.

6. About fifty metres away there were a lot of people standing around a pole watching some kids trying to climb to the top. At first I didn’t understand why. Then I looked up and saw some hundred baht bank notes hanging up there and a bit higher up there was a five hundred and a thousand baht bank note. They tried lots of different ways but each time they kept slipping down the greasy pole!

7. It was then we heard some cheers from behind us and we realized that the buffalo races had started. We followed the sound of laughter and soon saw a buffalo running down the track with a person running after it. It was really funny to see that person running with the buffalo like they were in their own race.

8. Thank you very much