Two Western women angered locals by sunbathing in skimpy clothes at this historic Buddhist temple, seen in the video, in Thailand.

The female tourists wore skimpy tank tops and shorts as they lay on the grass to soak up sunlight at the Chiang Man temple in Chiang Mai province on January 14.

A passing taxi driver who saw the women's 'inappropriate' behaviour - in the same country where cannabis and strip clubs abound - snapped a photo of the pair before reporting them to the temple's tour guide. However, the backpackers allegedly continued to lie on the temple grounds in their revealing attire.

The taxi driver said he had to leave to work, but posted the picture on social media, sparking an online uproar as locals slammed the unidentified women for allegedly violating the temple's dress code. He is now requesting local authorities install signs warning tourists to dress appropriately when visiting Thai temples.

Chiang Man temple's acting Abbott said the tourists had left after they were warned by an English-speaking temple worker.

He said the temple was unable to keep the women from entering as they were short-staffed. He said there were only seven monks there, and he was looking after the ill abbott at the time.

He said: 'Both of the tourists stood up and left when they understood they were wearing inappropriate clothes. They were likely ignorant of the dress code and cultural traditions here. However, I did not think this incident would be shared on social media and reach the news.'

He added that the taxi driver should have warned the women himself instead of crucifying them on social media.

Meanwhile, temple disciple Rungfa Sripanya said the incident transpired while she was manning the store at the temple's entrance. She said she only found out later when the photo of the tourists was shared online.

She said: 'The temple only has a few monks, but we welcome a large number of visitors due to its ancient history. It is unavoidable that there will be some tourists who do not understand Thai culture, especially regarding clothing. Even some Thai tourists forget and wear short skirts to temples.

'I don't want something like this to tarnish the temple's reputation. I hope tour guides and local drivers can help us watch out for misbehaving tourists.'

The Chiang Man temple is Chiang Mai province's oldest temple. It was built in 1296 by Chiang Mai founder King Mengrai.

The temple is highly respected among locals, and tourists often visit it to admire the ancient Lanna-style architecture.