Thai monks ride elephants while receiving donations to mark the start of Buddhist Lent


Buddhist monks ride on elephants as they receive donations from locals to mark the start of Buddhist Lent in Thailand.

The religious figures mounted the jumbos and paraded through the streets in Surin, northeastern Thailand, this morning (July 16).

Incredible footage shows the elderly shaven-headed monks receiving 'alms', picnic-hamper like donations that bright good luck, as they ride the elephants through the town centre.

The event is a part of an annual celebration for Buddhist Lent which is marked across the country.

Monks will now spend the next few months holed up in their temples studying Buddhist scriptures and meditating until the end of the rainy season.