A Russian tourist was killed in a gruesome motorcycle crash that tore his body in half on a Thai island.

The driver was allegedly speeding on a rented motorbike on the bustling tourist island of Phuket shortly after midnight on April 1.

However, he lost control and slammed into a lamppost on the roadside. The force of the impact was said to have ripped him in half, with his internal organs splattering all over the pavement.

Police responded to the scene after receiving a report at 12:45 am. They found the Russian man's Honda Forza two-wheeler shattered with debris scattered across the road.

They found the tourist lying dead in a pool of blood around 600ft (200m) away from the wreckage.

His lower body lay splayed out beneath the streetlight, while his upper half flew some 60 feet (18 metres) away. He had been wearing a helmet, and his phone with the display in Russian language was recovered intact.

An onlooker who witnessed the horror crash said: 'When he reached the scene, he lost control and fell. He was thrown from his motorcycle, and he skidded along the road before colliding with the streetlight. It was horrifying. There were bits of body parts flying everywhere.'

Police Major Nattee Pichitchainithimeth of the Mueang Phuket Police Station said: 'We called forensic doctors from the Vachira Phuket Hospital to make an initial examination before sending the body for a thorough post-mortem exam.

‘We will continue according to the legal process. We will also notify the Russian Embassy to inform the man's relatives of his death.'

The once-pristine island of Phuket has been marred by over-tourism as the Thai government implements a visa-free scheme to boost revenue following the barren pandemic years.

The island saw 800,000 foreign visitors last year alone.

However, angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of 'low-quality' visitors from Russia, India and Australia. There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.

Phuket officials said they are implementing tighter immigration controls and screening processes amid a wave of violations, drug-related crimes, and illegal activities on the island.