A Singaporean tourist was arrested for allegedly flying a drone amid a nationwide ban in Thailand.

Goh Chia Hsien, 44, was detained after operating the device to film aerial footage in Pattaya's bustling Walking Street area on Thursday.

He was hauled to the Pattaya City Police Station, where he claimed he was unaware of the tightened airspace regulations imposed amid a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.

The holidaymaker said he was merely a photography enthusiast and wanted to capture a bird's eye view of the city's nightlife. However, he failed to produce a drone-flying permit when pressed by the cops.

Police Lieutenant Amornthep Petchtim, deputy inspector at Pattaya City Police Station, said: 'We charged the tourist with flying a drone without a permit, violating section 78 of the Air Navigation Act.

‘We seized a small drone equipped with a lithium battery, two spare lithium batteries, a black drone remote control, goggles for controlling the drone with a black and red head strap, and one black shoulder bag.'

Police previously arrested a 28-year-old Swedish man for also flying a drone at a beach in Pattaya on August 3.

Speaking through an interpreter during interrogations, the tourist said he had just arrived in the city and was not aware of the drone ban. He added he simply wanted to document the scenery during his tropical holiday.

He was given a warning before being released.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), citing security reasons and heightened tensions at the Cambodian border, issued an urgent announcement prohibiting all drone activity across the country from July 30 until August 15, or until a new order is issued.

The ban applies to all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) nationwide, except for authorised security agencies.

The escalating military confrontation - the bloodiest in more than a decade - flared in long-disputed border areas as Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of instigating the violence on July 24.

The Thai army claimed the clash began when six armed Cambodian soldiers approached a Thai outpost after a drone was heard near a disputed Khmer temple. Thai troops said they shouted warnings and claimed the Cambodians opened fire first.

However, Cambodia's Defense Ministry accused Thailand of provoking the violence, saying its forces acted in self-defense.

Officials said at least 43 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced on both sides of the border.

Both sides have reached a truce midnight on July 28, following talks facilitated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He said: 'This is a vital first step toward de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security.'

President Trump had earlier threatened to pause trade deals with both countries if clashes continued.

He said after the ceasefire was forged: 'By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives ... I have now ended many Wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of PEACE!'