A Japanese tourist complained after he was allegedly scammed by a tuktuk taxi driver in Thailand.

Ryo Ishii and his friends said they were charged 6,000 THB (130 GBP) by dishonest cabbie Phumaret, 29, for a short tuktuk trip from the Thaniya area to the Asoke area in Bangkok.

The tourists had opted to hire the tuktuk driver for a more authentic experience in Thailand - only to be scammed when they were charged more than 60 times the going rate for what was supposed to be a 100 Baht (2.17 GBP) trip.

Writing on X on May 13, Ryo said: 'We went to Thaniya from Asoke by tuktuk. It cost us 1,500 THB per person. There were four of us so the total was 6,000 THB.'

He also warned other tourists to 'not be stupid' or they would also be ripped off.

Following Ryo's online complaint, police launched a search and tracked down Phumaret, who hails from Roi Et province.

Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phueakum, commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, said: 'Tourist Police and the Department of Land Transport summoned him, fining him 2,000 baht for charging an excessive fare and 500 baht for dressing inappropriately.

'His driving licence was also suspended for 90 days, and he was required to enrol in a three-hour ethics course for public transport drivers.'

Unscrupulous taxi drivers are among the leading complaints of foreign tourists in Thailand. They have become known for inflating prices, taking them to non-existent attractions or even threatening some holidaymakers

Citing a 2022 quarterly survey, the Tourism Council of Thailand had said that visitors rated taxi services poorly.

The tourists complained of 'unfair treatment' as cabbies reportedly tended to prefer passengers who agreed to pay a fare without using the taxi metre, or those who agree to pay an arbitrarily higher charge.

Officials said that tourists can use ride-hailing apps such as the NASDAQ listed company Grab, which provides taxis across Southeast Asia for the legal market rate.