Thai officials are converting unused train carriage to Covid-19 wards to handle rising cases.

Due to travel restrictions, railway trips have been reduced and more sleeper carriages have been parked in the capital city Bangkok.

As the country continues to battle increasing infections this month, the carriages are being repurposed to makeshift medical facilities to treat those without symptoms.

Local officials have so far allocated 15 carriages for the project which could hold up to 16 beds each and accommodate up to 240 patients at a time.

Bangkok governor Police General Asawin Kwanmuang said: ‘The trains will be used as isolation wards for patients without symptoms.

‘The project will start with redesigning the interior of the carriages such as setting up the beds, safety dividers, and other equipment.’

After the modifications, the carriages will be ready for use tomorrow (July 30). Toilets will be constructed outside the carriages and they would have their own electricity and water systems.

Around 50 per cent of the Thai capital’s population have already received Covid-19 vaccines but the cases still continue to rise.

Thailand has recorded 561,030 Covid-19 cases and 4,562 deaths as of July 29.

Analysts said that between now and 2026, around seven million workers in Thailand will continue to be affected by the economic harm from the Covid-19 pandemic.