Wild monkeys played with tourists on a beach in Thailand.

Footage shows the macaques wandering around the shore where the holidaymakers were taking pictures of the scenery in Krabi province on May 2.

Some of them had chased the island hoppers down but the younger primates curiously observed the men with their cameras.

Many provincial governments in Thailand have been lobbying for the removal of crab-eating macaques from the country's list of protected wildlife. The legal protections have been hampering efforts to curb the pillaging simians' ballooning numbers.

Thailand's growing population of primates has become a problem as the animals are known to damage property, such as cars and buildings. Unafraid of the consequences, they have also started stealing food from tourists and locals.

Meanwhile, the Thai government is taking steps to manage the monkey population in the country, including creating sanctuaries, mass sterilisation programs, educating the public on how to handle the animals properly, and relocating them to more suitable habitats.