Thailand held a fruit banquet for dozens of elephants in the ancient capital Ayutthaya on Saturday (March 13) with hopes that coronavirus travel restrictions would ease soon and foreign visitors will return and revive the tourism industry.

The feast is part of a celebration to mark Elephant Day and in past years a big draw for foreign tourists.

The tourism-reliant country has yet to lift a travel ban imposed last April to curb the outbreak, keeping most foreign travelers and investors away.

Elephants have been a source of national pride and cultural identity for Thailand throughout its history, used for labour, transport and in battlefield triumphs by warriors and kings. But animal rights group have long been calling for the elephant camps in Thailand to end animal shows and rides, branding the shows a form of animal abuse.

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