Help from the Land of Smiles

In a Buddhist temple complex in Henan province, nine Thais have been working from 6 am to 5 pm almost every day for more than three years.

The workers break for lunch for only half an hour. They are put up in small living quarters and, apart from watching DVDs they have brought from home, they have no other form of amusement or leisure.

The workers are racing against the clock to extend a Thai-style shrine at White Horse Temple in Luoyang. The shrine was built in 1995 and funding for its construction came from Thai donors.