Thrill-seeking farmers in rural Thailand turned their agricultural machines into high-speed vehicles, competing across muddy rice fields, and showcasing their hidden subculture.

"At this race, we are using racing machines that we have built and customised by ourselves as during this time it's the end of the rice crops season and as far as the engines we are using, they have been modified to get the most power to race," a participant said.

Footage filmed in Bung Nam Rak on Tuesday shows drivers racing through dirt tracks with little to no protection in what has drawn comparisons to Roman chariot racing on social media.

"We are here to have fun and to meet new friends such as local youths of many age groups and villages," another participant added.

In North America, tractor pulling features heavy farm machinery dragging weighted sleds for a distance. In Thailand, however, farmers transform smaller vehicles into drag racers with basic frames, driving them exposed on open platforms with engines at the front.

Dirt-track races in Thailand can feature many different kinds of vehicles including even snowmobiles, a rare sight in the tropical country.