An Australian tourist was allegedly stabbed by a taxi driver for damaging his vehicle during a trip in Thailand.

Holidaymaker Ricky Jarmyn, 39, was allegedly attacked by Thai cabbie Samorn, 49, with a box cutter when they began arguing in the car in Bangkok, at 3:30am.

Panicked bystanders found the tourist bleeding on the pavement from a stomach wound and he was rushed to the Chulalongkorn Hospital for treatment.

Police Major General Wittawat Chinkham, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 5, said officers tracked down Samorn through CCTV footage.

The suspect was hauled to the Thung Mahamek district police station for questioning.

During interrogations, it emerged that Ricky had been partying in the area. The Aussie flagged down the taxi take him and a male friend from a bar to the Chatrium Hotel in Bangkok.

However, the pair were said to have had a row during the trip. Ricky allegedly damaged the taxi when he stormed out of the car.

Cabbie Samorn claimed he tried to demand compensation from Ricky but the holidaymaker refused because he saw no damage.

He said: 'I grabbed a small cutter from the glove compartment and waved it at him. It hit his stomach.

'While he was sitting on the sidewalk, I drove away to drive the Thai man off along Si Lom Road near Soi 2.'

Police said Samorn was charged with assault causing bodily harm to another person.

Superindendent Panom Chuethong said: 'I am waiting for information from the investigator to find the cause of argument that led to the stabbing. The Australian victim is 39 years old.

'The case will proceed according to the law.'

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.