Thai sex workers forced to wear black outfits as they return to work after mourning (Photos)

Thailand's red light districts kicked back into life on Monday just ten days after their king died, with sex workers wearing black maid's outfits while in mourning as a mark of respect.

The country was plunged into grief when their 88-year-old monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej died on October 13 - bringing the booming tourist industry to a halt. Entertainment was banned for 30 days with popular tourist attractions like the full moon party cancelled with tourists urged to follow locals by wearing black.

But just over a week after the king died, hundreds of prostitutes lined the streets wearing black mini dresses, maid costumes, black boots, black suspenders and black gartars in their own unique mark of respect.

Pictures taken on Soi Cowboy in capital Bangkok show sex workers who usually wear brightly coloured bikinis dressed instead in black as they look for customers.

While just a mile away on Soi 4 near the infamous Nana Plaza - home to dozens of strip clubs - hundreds of girls and ladyboys in 'respectful' thigh-high black boots and black dresses flooded onto the pavements outside to 'make up for lost money'.

Sex worker Lek, 26, said: 'It is still very quiet. Everybody is sad because the king died.
But we have to keep working to make money. There is nothing else we can do. We have to go out and find the customer for money'.