Police officers chased a speeding bus driver allegedly high on methamphetamine when he raced past a security checkpoint in Thailand.

Cops were stationed at the checkpoint along Debaratna Road in Samut Prakan province when they flagged down the bus for suspicious activity on June 15 evening.

But instead of slowing down, the bus accelerated, ploughing through the intersection before turning into a nearby alley.

The cops gave chase, tailing the bus with terrified passengers screaming inside. They shot at the bus's wheels with rubber bullets, causing it to grind to a stop along a narrow road.

Dramatic footage shows how the frightened passengers fled shrieking from the bus after it stopped. They took shelter at a nearby shop as several gunshots rang.

The officers then swarmed the bus, but the driver had already escaped into a forest on the roadside.

Police Captain Kirkkrai Jantarachit from the Bang Bo district station said: 'The police had set up the checkpoint on Debaratna Road to intercept illegal drag racing activities and prevent various crimes, including drug-related offences.

'During the operation, the bus driver showed suspicious behaviour, which prompted the police to stop the vehicle for inspection.'

The officers scoured the woods for more than an hour but found no sign of the driver as it was too dark and the area was overgrown with thick grass that hampered search efforts.

A scan of the bus later revealed several blue plastic bags containing 12 amphetamine pills and drug paraphernalia stuffed inside the driver's console.

Police Captain Kirkkrai said: 'We are planning to summon the bus owner to the station for questioning. If he does not cooperate, we will request an arrest warrant.

'We suspect he was under the influence of the drugs found in the bus and that is why he did not stop.'