Wild monkeys living near a Buddhist temple have begun to starve as a drought causes a food shortage in northeastern Thailand.

The monkeys in Tham Pha Mak Ho temple in Loei province have had to rely on food given by tourists to stave off hunger as the hot weather has caused their natural foraging areas to dry up.

Monkey food vendor Nang Daeng Atchana Phrom said the monkeys used to eat rice at the temple but over the last year their numbers have grown. The steady stream of tourists pre-pandemic has allowed the troop to survive, with visitors often bringing fruits and vegetables like bananas and cucumbers to feed the wild animals.

However, the Covid-19 travel restrictions have stifled tourism in Thailand, and along with the intense heat, has depleted up the monkeys' food sources.

Footage shows the starving simians climbing up vehicles and houses in the temple's vicinity while scavenging for something to eat.

Nang said: 'There is only one monk at the temple, and waiting for rice offerings is probably not enough because there are a lot of monkeys here.

'Each day, a herd of monkeys have to sit and wait for food from tourists and passers-by. They have become so skinny and small.'

Thailand had been battling to control their surging monkey population before the pandemic started two years ago. Officials had even begun sterilising large numbers of primates.