A Chinese tourist has sparked anger by stripping to her underwear and posing provocatively in a bus in Thailand.

The woman, who has not been named, was travelling in the vehicle in jeans and t-shirt before removing her clothes to reveal a white bra and black thong.

She gyrated sensually as the passenger vehicle travelled along a road close to the historic Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai province at the weekend.

However, videos of the frisky stunt emerged online and caused outrage among sensitive locals who claimed it was an insult to the historic area, with the gate dating back to the 13th century.

The bus company has now launched an investigation to find the driver as the woman is already believed to have left the area.

Shocked resident Sun Rungrueang said: 'I don't believe that people are fine with this kind of behaviour in public. It's disrespectful to the city.'

Nop Saetan added: 'I don't mind tourists taking lots of pictures but this is very sexual. It's too much. I hope that the police find her to re-educate her about our culture.'

While one resident wrote online: 'Just ban them. Don't let them come here if they do this.'

Natthawut Chokthaweepun, chairman of the bus company Nakornlanna Co., Ltd., said that the videos of the woman were filmed by her friend from the back of the vehicle, and he believed that the driver was not aware of or involved in the incident.

He said he has launched an inquiry among his drivers and confirmed that neither his organisation nor its members were involved in recording the clips.

The bus boss has also warned all 2,199 members of his organisation to prevent similar incidents from happening again and cooperate with local authorities.

Speaking today, he said: 'I am making continued efforts to locate the driver of the vehicle seen in the video. It was definitely in one of our cars in broad daylight.

'I want the driver to come forward and provide any relevant information for the company, as it may be required by the authorities.

'The responsibility for the incident lies with the passenger, as it happened quickly within a few minutes and the driver may not have been aware of it. The driver's primary focus is on the road ahead and the back portion of the vehicle can only be slightly viewed through the side mirror.

'I know that the videos have the potential to negatively impact Chiang Mai's image in terms of tourism and cultural values, as some people might perceive it as a place where inappropriate actions are acceptable.'