Two Chinese DIY chemists were arrested for livestreaming sales of their illegal super-strength Viagra in Thailand.

Jinghua He, 43, and Zhihao Wu, 32, reportedly rented a house in Bangkok to use as a hostel and studio for their online sales pitches.

But police raided the property on October 15 following reports from residents that a 'large number' of Chinese nationals were living inside. They arrested the Chinese pair and a Burmese man Wai Yan Lin, 23, who was reportedly the 'guinea pig' for the medicine.

Officers also swept through another home rented by the duo, where they seized unregistered packs of Sildenafil - a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Chinese boss Jinghua claimed he rented the houses for 15,000 baht a month but denied using them as hostels.

Both Chinese men were charged with working without a permit, while Jinghua was additionally charged with 'failing as an employer to notify the registrar of a foreign worker's name, nationality, and nature of work within 15 days of employment'.

The Burmese man was charged with 'failing as an employee to notify the registrar of his information within 15 days of starting work'.

Police Colonel Pornthep Chalermkiat, superintendent of Sutthisan Police Station, said: ‘We informed them of their charges and handed them over to the inquiry officer for further legal action.

‘Regarding the modification of the building for use as accommodation and a workplace, which may violate the law, the Din Daeng district office will conduct a detailed inspection of the interior tomorrow.

‘If any illegal activities are found, they will send a representative to file a complaint with the inquiry officer to press charges against the owner.'

Under Thailand's Foreign Employment Act, tourists are banned from working in dozens of occupations including tour guiding, labour work, agriculture, and hairdressing. They are also prohibited from working in the country without a valid permit.

Violators may be fined 5,000 to 50,000 THB (114 to 1,136 GBP) and may face deportation to their home country. They will also be banned from seeking a Thai work permit for two years.

While Thai employers may be fined between 10,000 and 100,000 baht (227 to 2,270 GBP) per illegal employee. Repeat violators face up to one year in jail, a steeper fine of 50,000 to 200,000 baht (1,136 to 4,547 GBP) per illegal worker, and a three-year ban from hiring foreigners.

(1 GBP = 43.98 THB)