This is the bizarre moment former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra boasted to pretty British tourists that he previously owned Man City.

The leader had just finished a business dinner in Bangkok's Chinatown district when he was approached by the pair of female holidaymakers from London.

Footage shows the backpackers taking a selfie with Shinawatra as he was walking along the bustling Yaowarat Road on March 20. After the pictorial, he then revealed that he used to own the Manchester-based football club.

The two impressed women exclaimed their delight, with one of them saying: 'Manchester City, they're doing quite well, they're doing okay.'

Former Man City owner Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. He was a billionaire telecommunications tycoon before entering politics and is known for implementing populist policies that appealed to rural and lower-income citizens.

Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He fled abroad and was found guilty in absentia of abusing his position as Prime Minister to help his then-wife, Potjaman Na Pombejra, purchase state-owned land at a significantly undervalued price.

In 2007, he purchased Manchester City Football Club for around 82 million GBP. However, his ownership was short-lived, as financial troubles and legal issues forced him to sell the club to Sheikh Mansour in 2008.

While in exile, additional charges and convictions followed, including allegations of mismanagement of government funds, conflicts of interest in business dealings and corruption in his administration.

He returned to Thailand in 2023 following an election coup that saw his political party regain control. He made a deal to avoid spending any significant amount of time in prison for the crimes.