Thai dancers wear Covid-19 face shields at Buddhist shrine

Traditional Thai dancers wear protective face shields while performing for Buddhist followers.

The intricately decorated women in colourful costumes dance at the Erawan Shrine in the capital Bangkok.

Devotees make donations and say prayers.

Easing of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions has allowed the shrine to re-open.

However, the dancers must wear protective clear face shields to limit the risk of spreading or contracting the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China.

While the attraction would normally be packed with tourists, the Covid-19 ban on international arrivals to the country means that it is now only Thai Buddhist locals that attend.

Thailand has been free of local Covid-19 transmissions since May 26 and with only around 3,400 cases, the country avoided the suffering seen in neighbouring parts of Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and Indonesia.

Health chiefs have warned that it is unlikely that the country will open again to tourists until 2021 at the earliest.