Footage shows a police truck burning after being set alight by anarchists during a protest on Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand.

Large crowds carrying anti-government slogans gathered in the centre of the capital - defying a ban on crowds due to rising cases of the Covid-19 virus.

Anger at the government - which seized power with a military coup in 2014 - has grown in recent years sparking mass protests fuelled by disaffected opposition, exiled politicians, students and extremist youth groups. They are calling for the prime minister to resign and a new constitution to be created claiming to want 'more democracy'.

Thailand has recorded 736,522 Covid-19 cases and 6,066 deaths as of August 8 – with cases rising dramatically since April.

Travel bans and a 9pm curfew have been rolled out in the worst-hit regions and gatherings of more than five people have been outlawed.