Boxing legend Ricky Hatton regularly visited Thai 'Sin City' Pattaya - knocking back drinks with sex workers until the early hours of the morning.

The Hitman flew at least twice a year from Manchester to Bangkok, Thailand, before taking a two-hour taxi ride to the notorious coastal resort.

There he made hundreds of friends who this week paid tribute to the star following his sudden death at home on Sunday.

Tributes also came from bar girls - women working in nightlife venues who are available to hire for sex - who had previously drank with the British fighter.

They said that Ricky would often be seen trawling the bustling red light strip Soi Buakhao where hundreds of Brits have opened bars.

Pictures show him cosying up with local women, who are available to take home for as little as 500 Baht.

In one shot form inside a strip club, he makes a cheeky remark about the bottoms of two dancers.

Speaking in the video, Ricky's friend Naruemon Meesombat, who runs the Boss Corner Bar, said the star visited her January this year and drank six bottles of San Miguel - as well as buying drinks for all the staff and customers.

She said: 'Ricky sat right at the front of the bar, at around 11 pm., and left around midnight. He would often walk around this area. He was very friendly, customers and people passing by would come up to him asking for photos or to shake his hand, and he would smile and happily oblige.

'That night our sales were really good because people came in just because Ricky was sitting there.

'He was not arrogant at all — he was lovely and down-to-earth with everyone. He even bought drinks for all the girls and for others in the bar. But since he's a celebrity, maybe sometimes he just wanted to sit quietly, so he didn't talk much.

'If the bar started getting too crowded, he'd move on to another place. When he left our bar that night, he told us he was heading to Tree Town to meet some friends.

'He always went around by himself on Soi Buakhao. He sat at different bars alone too. I assumed he liked a bit of quiet. Both Thais and foreigners recognised him. You'd hear people nudging each other, saying, ‘Hey, that's Ricky!'

But when he was sitting there, his eyes sometimes looked distant, like he had something on his mind. Still, whenever people approached him, he was really friendly.

'We were all proud that he liked to come to our little bar.

'As for whether he was a playboy or not, I don't really know. I think he went to other places like Soi 6, or something like that, because each soi in Pattaya has its own character. Here, our bar is more quiet, customers usually sit and chat, and the bar girls are a bit older.

'On LK Metro, it's mostly go-go bars, like Soi 6 it is known for younger bar girls wearing very revealing clothes. For example, the sportsman Jimmy White — I heard he likes to go to go-go bars.

'Those places usually open from around 11 pm until 3 am. Foreigners often come to eat or sit at a bar around here first, and then head over there later.

'So when Ricky left our bar, I think he went over there, too, but I'm not sure.'

Lek, who works at another bar on the busy strip, said Ricky was 'always respectful'. She said he would buy drinks at smaller bars before visiting strip clubs later in the evening.

She added: 'I saw on social media the news that Mr Ricky had died, so I was shocked and sad.

'He always stopped by the bar where I worked. He was very friendly and bought all the girls drinks. He was generous and very respectful. He did not touch any of the girls like most men do.

'He was always alone when he came here but people would sit with him and talk. I asked him if he had a girlfriend and he laughed. He was friendly and after he left here, he went to a gogo bar.'

Dozens of Brits living in the coastal town best known for its round-the-clock sex industry paid tribute to Ricky.

British ex-pat Duncan Orr said: ' Ricky The Hitman Hatton was such a down to earth guy, I met him many times in Pattaya over last few years, and it was never a bother to him when he was out with people coming up to him asking him for a photo.'

Adam Judd added: 'I met Ricky a few times in Pattaya. He was such a down-to-earth and good person and had no signs of letting fame affect his daily life. He LOVED Pattaya an loved having a good time.'