A Chinese couple caught filming themselves having sex on a street in Pattaya said they had done so in other countries and didn’t know it was illegal in Thailand, according to police.

Police went to South Pattaya on Wednesday after being told by a security guard that he had seen a foreign man and a foreign woman having sex on the footpath near the entrance to the Walking Street.

A nearby CCTV camera captured images of the man setting up a camera on a tripod before removing his shirt and trousers, while the woman wore only a shirt. The pair performed in full view of passing pedestrians and drivers.

The guard took photographs of their antics as evidence and alerted police, who also examined security camera video.

Officers tracked the couple to a hotel and took them in for questioning. The two Chinese nationals were identified as Oh Zhihang, 67 and Lin Tingting, 37.

The couple have been charged with committing an indecent act in public.

The Chinese man told police via an interpreter that he was a photographer and was fond of taking nude photoshoots. He said he had taken many such pictures in places around the world for his personal collection.

He insisted he was not aware that what he had done went against any Thai laws. Police said the couple apologised to Thai people and authorities for actions that had tarnished the image of Pattaya tourism.

A Chinese man and a Chinese woman are captured on a security camera performing sex acts on a footpath in Pattaya on Wednesday. (Photo: Pattaya police station Facebook)