An image of undercover Thai cops dressed as drag queens for a drug raid was actually an AI-generated joke, police have admitted.

The picture, showing six officers in colourful sparkly dresses flanking a suspect, went viral around the world after being widely reported as a real sting operation in Thailand.

Major media outlets including the Daily Mail reported the image as a genuine police sting operation in Thailand after it was put out by local cops without any explanation it was a joke.

But the officer who posted it later revealed the image had been created using AI.

Police sergeant Rachata Mitrsuripong told local media: 'I wanted to create a friendlier image of the police - showing a cute and humorous side - so that people would feel more comfortable approaching officers'.

'Sometimes the public feels intimidated by the police,' he said.

Rachata said the arrest itself was genuine and shared the original image, which showed five male officers in ordinary clothes surrounding the suspect at a police station in Tha Luang district.

Police said they arrested alleged dealer Mekha Fa-wap-wap with more than 50 methamphetamine pills and 200 plastic bags allegedly used to package and sell drugs.

Officers also seized a mobile phone believed to have been used to coordinate an illegal gambling operation.

Police shared the AI-generated image online after last Friday's arrest alongside the caption: 'We didn't want to go out and arrest him, it's a waste of costume rental.'

Earlier this year, Thai police officers disguised themselves in a dragon costume to arrest a suspect accused of stealing valuable Buddhist artefacts during Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok.

Officers hid inside the red costume while responding to reports of a burglary at a senior police officer's home in the city's suburbs.

The 33-year-old suspect was accused of stealing several items, including two 12-inch Buddha statues, with the total value of the stolen property estimated at two million baht (£47,500).

Investigators said there were signs of forced entry at the property.

The suspect allegedly returned to the home at a later date but fled after being spotted.

Police later traced some of the stolen artefacts to a seller known as Jojo the Outlaw, who is believed to frequent temples in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi. 

Officers previously attempted to arrest him at one such temple, but he became suspicious and escaped before they could detain him.

Authorities kept the senior officer's home under surveillance for several weeks in the hope the suspect would return, but he did not. 

Police were subsequently informed that the suspect planned to meet associates at temples in Sai Noi district. 

Officers launched an undercover operation near a temple area, posing as members of a traditional lion dance troupe to blend in with the crowded festival setting.

Video footage shared online shows the officers moving with the performance as they monitored the crowd. 

Once they identified the suspect, one officer emerged from the dragon costume and, with assistance from colleagues, tackled him to the ground before completing the arrest.

The footage of the operation has since circulated widely online, with many describing it as an inventive approach to apprehending a suspect.