Fascinated tourists marvelled at Godzilla-like monitor lizards roaming around an island in southern Thailand.

The curious holidaymakers filmed and posed for photos next to the lumbering 5ft long reptile when it emerged near a beach on Koh Similan island in Phang-Nga province on October 17.

It shuffled slowly along the sand as tourists took selfies with it, then swam into a nearby pond. Moments later, another smaller monitor lizard appeared, to the delight of the beach-goers.

Koh Similan National Park staff said the reptiles were two of several monitor lizards inhabiting the island. They said the wild animals were often seen in the pond or in tourist areas, where people were likely to drop food on the ground.

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.