A Chinese tourist plunged to his death in a horror paragliding accident in Thailand.

Hao Huang, 56, reportedly plummeted some 650ft (200m) through the sky when the device's parachute collapsed at the competition in Phetchabun province on December 5.

The holidaymaker - who had travelled from his motherland for the flight enthusiast meeting - landed in a residential area and was said to have snapped his neck upon impact.

Police Colonel Thirasak Saraphusitsan, superintendent of the Lom Kao District Police Station, said police were notified at 3:45 pm.

Officers arrived and found the body of Hao, from Jiangsu, entangled in the faulty parachute in the front yard of a home.

A post mortem examination confirmed Hao died instantly from severe injuries, including a broken neck. The accident occurred during a gathering of international paragliding enthusiasts. Witnesses said Hao's parachute appeared to malfunction, folding mid-air and sending him plummeting to the ground.

Authorities are now investigating the incident, including whether the event was properly authorised. He had a broken neck and multiple fractures, and reportedly died instantly.

Witnesses said the Chinese man had joined a large-scale paragliding event at Phu Thap Boek - a popular destination for paragliders.

A police spokesman said: 'The exact cause of the accident is still unclear. We will investigate if the paragliding event had the proper permits from the relevant agencies.'

In February, a Chinese woman suffered a broken leg while parasailing on Thai holiday island Phuket. The holidaymaker had claimed the staff failed to give detailed instructions, causing her to be injured while landing.

Then Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin urged parasail operators to ensure tourist safety following the incident.