An elderly man is tested for Covid-19 at a small retirement community in Don...READ ON
An elderly man is tested for Covid-19 at a small retirement community in Don Muang district, Bangkok, Thailand, April 202.
Buddhist monks, wearing face masks, participate in group prayer during Makha...READ ON
Buddhist monks, wearing face masks, participate in group prayer during Makha Bukha day at Wat Dhammakay in Bangkok, Thailand, February 2021.
Health workers communicate with a Covid-19 positive patient via Facebook...READ ON
Health workers communicate with a Covid-19 positive patient via Facebook video chat at a field hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2021.
A screen displays a Covid-19 virus graphic on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2020.
Children eat lunch behind social distancing screens at Wat Khlongtoei school...READ ON
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...READ ON
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.
Food, supplied by the Thai Airforce is handed out at Wat Don Muang to help...READ ON
Food, supplied by the Thai Airforce is handed out at Wat Don Muang to help offset income loss due to lockdown in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2020.
A barber cuts a clients hair at his shop under a bridge in Phra Khanong in...READ ON
A barber cuts a clients hair at his shop under a bridge in Phra Khanong in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2020.
Novice Buddhist monks gather alms wearing face shields in Bangkok's Bang...READ ON
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.
Several people exercise outdoors, in the normally over-crowded Lumphini Park...READ ON
Several people exercise outdoors, in the normally over-crowded Lumphini Park in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2020.
A hotel staffer puts on PPE before sterilizing a room to prepare for the...READ ON
A hotel staffer puts on PPE before sterilizing a room to prepare for the arrival of guests in Bangkok, Thailand, October 2020.
A general view of a mall with most of its floors closed to patrons during a...READ ON
A general view of a mall with most of its floors closed to patrons during a semi-lockdown in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2020.
Pet groomers tend to a cat while wearing face masks and face shields in...READ ON
Pet groomers tend to a cat while wearing face masks and face shields in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2020.
Muslim women wear face masks during Eid al-Fitr, at The Foundation of the...READ ON
Muslim women wear face masks during Eid al-Fitr, at The Foundation of the Islamic Centre of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand, May 2020.
Researchers from the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infections Disease Health...READ ON
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...READ ON
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.
A government worker sterilizes playground equipment in PPE prior to the...READ ON
A government worker sterilizes playground equipment in PPE prior to the reopening of San Chao School in Bangkok, Thailand, January 2021.
Traditional Thai dancers wear face masks at Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, July 2020.
A woman receives a Covid-19 swab test from a mobile testing unit on Khao San...READ ON
A woman receives a Covid-19 swab test from a mobile testing unit on Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2021.
The famous Soi Cowboy sits abandoned by tourists and workers during lockdown...READ ON
The famous Soi Cowboy sits abandoned by tourists and workers during lockdown in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2020.
Delivery people sit in a socially distanced area in Central Pinklao Mall as...READ ON
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.
A health worker disinfects a Covid-19 swab test sample before storing it for...READ ON
A health worker disinfects a Covid-19 swab test sample before storing it for transport to a lab in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2020.
Members of the Thai Royal Army disinfect the Phra Ram 9 MRT station as part...READ ON
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...READ ON
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...READ ON
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 line up to receive Coronavac Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Sinovac...READ ON
People line up to receive Coronavac Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., at Wat Nimmanoradee in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2021.
A health worker administers a Covid-19 vaccine in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2021.
A policeman administers temperature checks at an outbound traffic checkpoint...READ ON
A policeman administers temperature checks at an outbound traffic checkpoint on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, March 2020.
A young girl is given hand sanitizer before entering the The Foundation of...READ ON
A young girl is given hand sanitizer before entering the The Foundation of the Islamic Centre of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand, May 20200.
A government worker disinfects a classroom at San Chao School prior to...READ ON
A government worker disinfects a classroom at San Chao School prior to reopening in Bangkok, Thailand, January 2021.
A health worker inspects a room at a field hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2021.
People walk through a "sanitization gate" at EmQuartier Mall in...READ ON
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...READ ON
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.
People line up to receive Coronavac Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Sinovac...READ ON
People line up to receive Coronavac Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., at Wat Nimmanoradee in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2021.
High risk individuals sit on Khao San Road as they wait for mobile testing...READ ON
High risk individuals sit on Khao San Road as they wait for mobile testing booths to become available in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2021.
A health worker checks the blood pressure of a woman, after she received the...READ ON
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...READ ON
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.
Government workers and volunteers clean a playground area at San Chao School...READ ON
Government workers and volunteers clean a playground area at San Chao School prior to reopening in Bangkok, Thailand, January 2021.
A health worker administers the Coronavac Covid-19 vaccine, produced by...READ ON
A health worker administers the Coronavac Covid-19 vaccine, produced by Sinovac Biotech Ltd in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2021.
A couple of people stop at 7/11 after dark on an abandoned Khao San Road,...READ ON
A couple of people stop at 7/11 after dark on an abandoned Khao San Road, normally packed to the brim with tourist in Bangkok, Thailand, April 2021.
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.
Andre Malerba | Photographer
Andre Malerba is an award winning freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer in Bangkok, Thailand, covering Southeast Asia and the larger region.