Restrictions on air travel imposed on airlines in Thailand have brought a lot of turbulence into the lives of flight and cabin crews, but they've been trained to cope with emergencies.
More than 200 furloughed staff, facing reduced incomes from big pay cuts, have formed a car and motorbike delivery service, earning vital money and winning fame on the doorstep.
Just a month ago, Kritee Youngfuengmont was flying commercial jets. No longer hauling passengers, he now jockeys a Honda scooter around town to deliver food, documents and even hot cups of coffee.
It's not glamorous, but for the 36-year-old pilot on half-pay who has debts to settle, the work is a financial lifeline. The roughly 1,500 baht ($46) he earns per day should keep him going until the pandemic passes.
"Life is unpredictable. The unexpected can happen anytime. You could be enjoying good times and all of a sudden, you're falling apart," he said.
"When that happens, you have to figure out if you are going to give up, or fight and find something to hold on to while you figure a way out." Thailand's airlines began slashing services and salaries in late March to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, surrendering to the reality that entry bans around the world make most passenger flights money-losers. Staff at the country's flag carrier, Thai Airways International, took pay cuts and were put on leave until the end of May.
