Hundreds of skin-crawling caterpillars caused chaos for the locals as they swarmed a Buddhist temple in southern Thailand.

The army of hairy larvae stuck on walls, shutter doors, floors and ceilings at the Wat Satun Santayaram temple in Satun province on December 21.

The tiny bugs posed a nuisance to visitors who came to worship as the winds blew them towards the devotees.

Provincial agriculture officers later arrived to inspect the area and found that the bugs were caterpillars that had been living in nearby trees. Their tiny hairs are known to cause irritation upon contact with skin.

The premises were fumigated with mosquito spray to prevent the pests from proliferating and spreading into the adjacent school.

Phra Thanaphum Thitsa, a monk whose living quarters were attacked by the larvae, said: 'These worms have been bothering us for four days. Some of the monks are suffering hives and itchiness.'

He added that the wind may have contributed in the spread of the caterpillars.

Channarong Wirunsan, a farmer in the province, said the insects are reproducing quickly thanks to the humidity and the abundance of foliage.

He said: 'In addition to being a nuisance, the worms are also mildly toxic and cause itching and inflammation.

'When it enters the pupa stage, it takes three to four days to emerge. We're trying to find the best way to get rid of them, by using chemicals that aren't too harmful to residents.'