This is the shocking moment a troop of ravenous monkeys surrounded a car in a town in Thailand.

The simian pillagers swarmed the pickup truck while it was delivering mangoes to a market in the macaque-ridden province of Lopburi on March 31.

Video shows the theft in broad daylight as the greedy primates plucked the bounty of tropical fruit from the back of the vehicle stuck at a level crossing near the Malai Rama Cinema.

The driver tried to scare the troop off with an umbrella, but the monkeys had already emptied his fruit baskets.

He said: 'I was being careless. I knew this area was notorious for its monkeys, but I did not think I would have to wait for the train to pass.

'I thought the monkey prevention police was established to help with situations like these, but they were nowhere to be found.'

Lopburi has become a popular tourist destination because of its large population of monkeys. The monkeys are mostly long-tailed macaques, and they can be found all over the city, from the temples to the streets.

However, they can also be aggressive, and they have been known to steal food and belongings.

Last month police were issued with slingshots to defend themselves from the creatures following a spate of attacks on cars, motorcycle riders, shops and pedestrians.