A Frenchman was ordered to cover up after he fell asleep stark naked outside a cafe in Thailand.

The tattooed tourist was peacefully dozing off on a wicker chair at the restaurant entrance in Krabi province on June 4 evening when police shook him awake telling him to cover his exposed privates.

The dazed holidaymaker, 40, was surprised to find himself surrounded by the officers, but sheepishly complied with their orders without resistance.

When asked where he was staying, he named a nearby hotel and said 'room 26'.

Police ushered him into their car to take him back to his accommodation.

Cafe staff said that before collapsing on the chair, the shirtless man had appeared drunk and had a sarong draped around his waist as he staggered across the street near a market.

Upon arriving at the shop, he took off the sarong and relished the refreshing night breeze between his legs before falling unconscious, frightening some customers who fled the store.

The alarmed cafe owner locked the door before calling the cops on the Frenchman.

Under Section 388 of Thailand's Criminal Code, 'any person who performs such a disgraceful act in public by undressing himself, exhibiting his undressed person or committing any other act of obscenity shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred baht.'

Police Lieutenant Attakowit Sungkasit said the tourist was not aggressive and 'returned to his hotel to sleep'.

He said: 'We left him there and went back in the morning to chat again with him and check everything was OK. He has been warned not to do that again.'