This is the shocking moment a tourist put a policeman in an MMA-style choke hold and stole his gun.

Mattson Day, 36, from New Zealand, and his brother Hamish, 38, were riding a motorcycle when the officer allegedly tried to pull them over in Phuket, Thailand, on Saturday afternoon.

However, the brothers reportedly sped away sparking a frantic chase before they eventually stopped. A scuffle ensued when the policeman, Sergeant Major Somsak Noo-iad, is said to have produced his gun.

Shocking footage shows how Mattson, a stocky Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter, pinned the officer to the ground and disarmed him before passing the weapon to Hamish, an AI developer from Hamilton.

Hamilton can be heard in the video telling a panicked neighbour that 'the policeman was trying to attack us, he tried to kill us'.

The pair were arrested at the scene when backup arrived. They were held in custody while the policeman was treated for minor injuries following the incident in the Chalong district of the popular Thai holiday island.

Police Colonel Ekarat Plaiduang from the Chalong District Police Station said: 'The tourists did not stop when they were ordered to by the police officer. He pursued them and caught them.

'They tried to give him a bribe but he did not agree and then they attacked him. The officer was attacked and he suffered injuries to his fingers and arms.

'There was a danger the gun could have detonated and hurt someone.

'Our officer showed bravery and he will be rewarded for his work.'

Police said that Mattson and Hamis had been charged with 'jointly stealing property, jointly fighting or obstructing officials in the performance of their duties and jointly attacking an official performing their duties'.

They were also charged with driving a motorcycle without a license. The maximum punishment for assaulting a policeman is two years in prison.

Officers have remanded the pair in custody and they were due in court today. Police said they will apply for them to be denied bail.

Police said today that both men had refused to speak with police during interviews.

Hamish is understood to be the CEO of It company Code Avengers, which specialises in developing AI, programming and web development.