A naked Russian tourist was pulled from the sea after floating all night while trying to swim from the Thai coast to a nearby island.

The male backpacker, not named in local reports, stripped off to go skinny dipping at a beach in 'Sin City' Pattaya in the early hours of December 8. He became carried away and tried to swim to Koh Larn island some eight miles (12 kilometres) away but his stamina faltered, leaving him stranded at sea.

The exhausted Russian man was rescued the following morning by speedboat operator Pracharat Satsuk, 34, who was ferrying tourists to Koh Larn at around 11 am local time. He had numerous abrasions from floating for hours in choppy waters around four miles (six kilometres) from the coast.

The Thai local threw a life preserver to the holidaymaker before dragging him onboard.

He said: 'We were halfway to Koh Larn when I noticed the man floating without a single piece of clothing. I was scared at first because I thought he was a corpse. When we came closer, I saw he was still alive.

'I'm not sure why he would do this. Maybe he just wanted to challenge himself, but the strong currents swept him away. He was lucky he wasn't hit by passing boats.'

The dehydrated Russian was given water and a towel to cover his modesty as he was taken to Koh Larn, where medics treated him. He was then handed over to local authorities to be given further assistance.

Beach drownings are a recurring safety concern in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. The deaths often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signages.

The waters are most dangerous during the country's rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed in beaches to warn of dangerous sea conditions.

Thailand has become a popular destination for Russian tourists escaping military conscription in the war with Ukraine. The Thai government has been spellbound by the wealth of the former Soviet Union powerhouse and used visa-free programmes to encourage the influx of Russian holidaymakers.

Pattaya and Phuket - both notorious enclaves of criminal activity - have become popular destinations for the Russian and Ukrainian war dodgers.