A tourist baffled supermarket employees when he climbed on top of shelves to sleep.

The male holidaymaker entered the store in Phuket, Thailand, on Friday at around lunchtime.

However, instead of buying food, he clambered up a row of shelves and positioned himself under the air conditioner.

Police arrived after receiving a report from supermarket workers, who failed to convince the man to leave.

Video shows officers struggling to communicate with the tourist, seen gesturing with his hands as he spoke to the police.

He was later taken to the police station to calm down.

A store worker said: 'The man seemed like he was under the influence of drugs. He was acting strangely and wouldn't listen to us at all. Luckily, he didn't try to hurt anyone and just lied down on top of the shelves to relax.'

Officers said the holidaymaker was later released after paying a fine.

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.

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.