A tourist suffered a heart attack in the middle of a red-light district before laying dead for two hours - with passers-by believing he was drunk.

The holidaymaker in his 50s had been passing through the Walking Street area of Pattaya, Thailand, before collapsing on Tuesday afternoon.

He was slumped against a pole outside the Heart Rock Pub for two hours with bar workers believing he had fallen asleep while drunk.

But by 6pm when he was still not moving one worker went over to check on him after realising he still had not moved - then discovered he was lifeless.

Paramedics arrived and he was pronounced dead at the scene having suffered a suspected heart attack. Police are still unable to identify the man as he had no ID or passport on him.

Nuttakrit Jaeb from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation said: ''The foreign man was dead when we arrived. There was nothing we could do to revive him.

''We think that he had a heart attack and held onto the pole then fell to the ground.''

Police Commissioner Supachai Chanalong from Pattaya Police said: ''There were no injuries on the man and no sign that he had been involved in any disputes. There is nothing suspicious so we are not looking for any suspects.

''Staff at the bar said he was on the ground for more than two hours. They believed he was drunk and sleeping so left him there.

''The man had no passport or ID so we are still trying to find his details and where he was staying.''

Police said they believed the man was a tourist and that his body had been sent for a post mortem examinations.