A Thai tourist and his American wife were attacked by stray dogs while walking along a beach in Thailand.

Daniel Soodjai Kutrakun, 69, was wounded on his left leg while protecting his wife from the crazed canines at the Ao Nang Beach in Krabi province.

The couple had gone for a morning stroll along the coast on March 11 and encountered a pack of five to six dogs, which initially ignored them and only played among themselves.

However, on their way back a brown stray became aggressive and lunged at the American woman, with Daniel using his leg to block its fangs.

He went to a hospital and paid 20,000 baht (578 USD) for shots and other treatments.

Daniel, a Thai man who has acquired American citizenship, said he was shaken by the incident - a first for him in his 23 years of visiting the beach. He said he has decided to take walks on the pavement instead until the strays were controlled.

He added that he had been flying to Krabi every year and staying for one month at a friend's hotel.

Daniel and his wife had settled on the area for their beach wedding, but were saddened by the dogs' attack. He said they 'felt bad' as they had been recommending Ao Nang as a tourist destination to friends and family abroad.

The couple urged authorities to take action as the mutts might affect local tourism.

In response, the Ao Nang district council called the local livestock office to catch the dogs.