This is the moment a backpacker stripped naked in front of cheering tourists in Thailand.

The man removed his underwear and trusted around like a male stripper, to the delight of his friends taking a group picture next to a sailfish statue at the Ao Nang Beach in Krabi on April 8.

As the group cheered at the cheeky display, the man was seen cupping his crotch while posing for the photo, unfazed by passing motorists.

The act has sparked criticism from locals, who said tourists must abide by the local laws.

Onlooker Nok Nualsiri said: 'The city has laws and regulations. Foreigners who visit should study the traditions and culture of each city.

'They should not do whatever they want, such as stripping wherever. They are only visitors here. I urge those responsible to look into this issue.'

Jom Supawat added: 'I would have been offended if I was there with my family. I don't want my children to see that.

'Tourists are behaving worse now than they did in the past.'

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'.

Though it is unclear if the man had been arrested for stripping in the popular tourist spot, several other foreigners in Thailand had previously been detained for public nudity.

In 2019, six tourists - three British, one Austrian, one Japanese, and one Thai native - were arrested for skinny dipping at the Ao Nang Beach.

The group, all aged between 17 and 20, allegedly admitted to being drunk at the time. They were each made to pay a 500-baht fine.