Children eat lunch behind social distancing screens at Wat Khlongtoei school in Bangkok, Thailand, August 2020. Many schools struggled to assure parents that their children would be safe upon reopening after the initial wave.
People line up to receive free meals at Wat Don Muang to help offset income loss due to lockdown, arranged by the Thai Air Force, in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2020.
Novice Buddhist monks gather alms wearing face shields in Bangkok's Bang Sue district in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2020. Alms gathering is the only way that monks receive food.
Researchers from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infections Disease Health Science Center, catch and study bats during a catch and release program at the Khao Chong Pran Cave in Ratchaburi, Thailand, December 2020. The team, led by Dr. Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, have been collecting blood, tissue, saliva and fecal samples from bats in an effort to understand Covid-19.
Thai Airways stewardesses and pilots pose for a picture with the first ever delivery of Covid-19 vaccines from Sinovac Biotech Ltd., at Suvarnabhumi Airport, in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2021.
Delivery people sit in a socially distanced area in Central Pinklao Mall as they wait for food vendors to hand them delivery orders in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2020. While malls closed, a system was set up so that food vendors could continue to sell via delivery only.
Members of the Thai Royal Army disinfect the Phra Ram 9 MRT station as part of a city-wide effort to disinfect all train stations in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2020.
A referee and coach, wearing face masks and face shields, attempt to revive a KO'd Muay Thai fighter at Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, July 2020. Matches were televised only, with no live audience and teams had to quarantine for two weeks.
People wait in line to sign up for government cash handouts to help offset job loss due to Covid-19 in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2020. Gig workers and freelancers had a particularly difficult time, as the system currently in place is not designed to deal with claims from people who aren't employed by a company. This includes taxi and motorbike taxi drivers.
People walk through a "sanitization gate" at EmQuartier Mall in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2020. The contraption spritzed people with sanitizer as they walked through, an attempt by malls to assure patrons that they were safe during the initial wave.
A health worker administers one of the initial doses of Coronavac Covid-19 vaccine - produced by Sinovac Biotech Ltd. - to be available in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2021.
A health worker checks the blood pressure of a woman, after she received the Coronavac Covid-19 vaccine, produced by Sinovac Biotech Ltd in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2021.
A woman has her picture taken with Thai Airways staff at a pop up restaurant designed to help offset the financial loss due to travel and flight restrictions in Bangkok, Thailand, September 2020.
With the typical influx of tourists during Chinese New Year, Thailand was expected to experience a severe outbreak of Covid-19 in early 2020. However, after an initial rise in cases, Thailand experienced a relatively low number of confirmed cases and few deaths (less than 100) throughout 2020. Widespread mask usage, good hygiene and a robust contact tracing program helped to contain the virus from the start. It wasn't until 2021 that the UK variant made its way into Thailand, and led to a sharp increase in daily cases and deaths. Currently, the Thai government is struggling to administer enough vaccines to help stop the spread and avoid a more severe third wave.