Seafarers did a line-crossing baptism as they crossed the equator from the American continent on the way to China.

Footage shows the crew with painted bodies submerged in individual tubs filled with water as they sailed on the sea near Singapore on August 20.

They prayed to an image of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, being role-played by their colleague.

One of the crew Dalan Rattana said: ‘That was our equator crossing ceremony with Thai merchant navy sailors.'

The line crossing ceremony, also known as equatorial baptism, is an initiation ritual practiced by seafarers when they cross the equator for the first time. It is a long-standing tradition that dates back centuries and varies in its specific practices across different maritime cultures.