Dozens of monkeys rampaged across a police station after escaping from their cage in Thailand.

Some 30 macaques broke out of their makeshift prison - where they had been rounded up for sterilisation - and took over a neighbourhood in the notoriously overridden town of Lopburi on June 18.

Footage shows the animals climbing across cables and running across a road, causing a traffic disruption.

They also sparked chaos at the Tha Hin Police Station and Pho Kao Ton Subdistrict Administrative Organization.

Staff from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation were dispatched to tranquilise and round up the macaque troop.

Wildlife officers also placed bait inside cages to lure the animals inside.

Authorities at the Pho Kao Ton Animal Nursery Center said they found a 20-centimetre gap in the monkeys' metal cage.

It is believed a large macaque had torn the opening in the wire screen, allowing the others to pass through.

Th Department of National Parks said that as of June 19, more than 20 monkeys have been caught.

They said they hoped to capture the rest of the escaped simians by evening.

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.