This is the chaotic moment tourists were seen fighting on a busy nightlife street in Phuket.

The drunk holidaymakers squared off in front of bars along the Soi Bangla area of the island, at 3:30 am local time on May 6.

Footage shows a gang of burly men appearing to gang up on a balding and barefoot holidaymaker, whom they shoved violently onto the pavement.

Onlooker Kim Wan said: 'I don't know what the argument was about. I saw the man in a white shirt trying to approach the group, but they kept ignoring him. However, he kept pestering them and that's when the fight started.

'There are drunk foreigners fighting here almost every night. Sometimes the police show up to take them to the police station. Other times, there are no officers around and the fights just end on their own.'

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 drug-related crimes and illegal activities on the island.