Two backpackers were seen sunbathing topless on a pavement in Thailand.

Footage shows the pair of foreigners lying on their backs - one of them on the ground and his friend on a bench - absorbing the morning sun beside a road on the island of Phuket on January 25.

They were shirtless and only wore swimming shorts despite being several miles away from the beach.

One of them was even barefoot, amusing locals who saw them from a nearby shop.

Onlooker Alisa Jongjit said: 'The foreigners thought the whole island was the beach. They sunbathed in the middle of traffic pollution.'

Phuket has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia, but it has also attracted criminals and rowdy holidaymakers.

Angry locals have been blaming the Thai government's free visa policy for the influx of 'low-quality tourists' in the country.

The scheme was implemented as a quick-fix income boost instead of long-term investment in infrastructure, education and tech industries.