Hundreds of local struggling financially because of the coronavirus queued for food handouts this morning in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

Community-minded volunteers set up food stands to hand out meals - resulting in a one-and-a-half mile long line of locals waiting to collect the parcels.

The food packs consisted of rice, water, instant noodles, oil, canned food, eggs and some ready-to-eat meals.

One of the volunteers Monchai Somjai, 43, said the campaign started with a group of friends that wanted to help the locals who were laid off because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: "My friends and I wanted to help other people so we raised money among the group and then we spread the news around the city.

"This is the sixth day that we are doing this and the amount of food has increased every day as there were more people who helped us after hearing about the program.

"We plan to do it for seven days but if the donations continue to come, then we can continue volunteering until the supplies last."

Thailand, where between 15 and 20 per cent of GDP comes from tourism, has been hit hard by the economic impacts of the coronavirus. Travel bans were enforced last month followed by an outright ban on all international passenger flights.

Hundreds of thousands of businesses have been closed and residents - many of whom survive on hand-to-mouth earnings each day - have been subject to 10pm curfews.

Hundreds of local struggling financially because of the coronavirus queued for food handouts this morning in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

Community-minded volunteers set up food stands to hand out meals - resulting in a one-and-a-half mile long line of locals waiting to collect the parcels.

The food packs consisted of rice, water, instant noodles, oil, canned food, eggs and some ready-to-eat meals.

One of the volunteers Monchai Somjai, 43, said the campaign started with a group of friends that wanted to help the locals who were laid off because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: "My friends and I wanted to help other people so we raised money among the group and then we spread the news around the city.

"This is the sixth day that we are doing this and the amount of food has increased every day as there were more people who helped us after hearing about the program.

"We plan to do it for seven days but if the donations continue to come, then we can continue volunteering until the supplies last."

Thailand, where between 15 and 20 per cent of GDP comes from tourism, has been hit hard by the economic impacts of the coronavirus. Travel bans were enforced last month followed by an outright ban on all international passenger flights.

Hundreds of thousands of businesses have been closed and residents - many of whom survive on hand-to-mouth earnings each day - have been subject to 10pm curfews.