A Chinese couple were forced to make an embarrassing walk of shame to the police station after they were caught having sex on a pavement.

Zhihang, 67, and his partner Tingting, 35, set up a tripod before stripping and recording themselves romping on the pavement in 'Sin City' Pattaya.

The pair sparked outrage as they thrusted in plain view of the public, while capturing the obscene act on camera.

Police arrested them on April 9 following reports from furious locals fed up with 'low quality' visitors in the tourist destination, which is best known for its round-the-clock adult industry.

Footage shows the humiliated holidaymakers making the awkward elevator ride and walk of shame to the police station after officers barged into their hotel room.

Shockingly, Zhihang, from the strict Communist mainland or neighbouring China, claimed he did not know that having public sex was illegal in Thailand.

He said: 'I'm a photographer who likes to travel around the world to take nude photos in various locations. I have visited many countries where I have done the same thing.

'This time, I travelled to Thailand because I wanted to expand my collection. I did not know what I did was illegal under Thai law.

'I apologise to the Thai people and the officials for damaging the image of Pattaya.'

Police Colonel Songwut Chueplakij, a commander of the tourist police, said the couple would be fined for lewd behaviour.

However, they could face up to 10 years in jail if they are found to have published their x-rated content.

He added: 'We have taken both suspects to the inquiry officer of the Pattaya City Police Station for further legal action.

'The maximum fine is 5,000 Baht each for public indecency. They are also being interrogated in connection with the Computer Crime Act. This fine can be 100,000 Baht.

'We ask tourists visiting Pattaya for the upcoming Songkran Festival to follow all rules and regulations, stay alert, and report any signs of danger.

'If needed, please notify officers stationed at checkpoints or use the designated application. Our emergency response team is available 24 hours a day to help prevent incidents.'

Just five days earlier, a Russian couple were reported for having sex on a beach in front of shocked locals in the same city. The pair were seen appearing to have sex while half-submerged, as other tourists sat on the sand for a better view of their romp.

On February 4, 2024, a naked couple were seen romping just yards away from fellow tourists on Jomtien Beach. While on March 13, 2024, a woman was spotted straddling a man after closing time outside the Terminal 2 Pattaya shopping mall. 

While on February 22 this year, a couple were spotted having sex on top of a concrete bench at the Krating Lai Beach.

Former fishing village Pattaya became popular with American troops on 'rest and relaxation' breaks in the 1950s and 1960s when the U.S. military had bases in Thailand while fighting Communism in Vietnam. Rural families are said to have even dressed their sons as women to cash in on the gold rush.

The handful of bars in the coastal town quickly grew and it is now the world's biggest sex holiday destination, with round-the-clock prostitution and drugs - a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah rife with crime and debauchery.

Government chiefs have attempted to clean up the city, but regular violence, depravity and claims of corruption continue to blight its reputation.