Police slammed a British tourist who claimed he was beaten and robbed by officers in Thai 'Sin City' Pattaya.

Andrew Hopkins, 55, said he was imprisoned, battered and extorted out of 15,000 Baht (356.81 GBP) by local cops for accidentally breaking a sign in the notorious tourist city on November 22, 2024.

He claimed his vacation turned into a 'holiday from hell' when he was twice unfairly thrown into jail, where he was cuffed to the cell bars and left to 'lie in a puddle of his own urine' before he was released.

The disgruntled 22-stone holidaymaker shared photos allegedly taken inside an overcrowded and filthy jail.

He said: 'Tourists to Thailand have zero rights in Thailand, Thais honour other Thais, tourists are seen as marks to be fleeced and robbed at every opportunity.

'They call it the Land of Smiles, but my experience is that they're only friendly while you're paying. Tourists are seen as easy targets to be fleeced and robbed.

'If you ever find yourself in trouble there – stay calm, don't raise your voice, and do not, under any circumstances, question their authority.'

However, Thai police have refuted the allegations, saying the Brit had been detained for disorderly conduct during his stay in the tropical country.

Speaking today, Police Colonel Navin Thirawit, superintendent of the Pattaya City Police Station, said Andrew had first been arrested for destroying a traffic barrier while drunk on November 22.

Pictures show it was bent backwards at the base.

Andrew was taken to a cell to sober up, before being fined a relatively low 100 Baht (2.38 GBP) upon release.

The tourist then returned to his hotel but had another outburst upon learning he had been booted out over his alcohol and cannabis-fuelled rampages that scared the other guests. He was detained a second time on November 23.

The police boss said: ‘We are verifying whether the footage and photos the tourist shared were indeed taken in our police station and we are trying to identify who took them. I will assign the deputy superintendent to set up an investigation committee.

‘However, I can confirm that Mr Hopkins was detained at the Pattaya City Police Station.

‘We are reviewing the law to determine whether we can take legal action against him over the report published in foreign news.

'His claim that he was held in jail for over 36 hours is untrue. He was arrested twice, with the first arrest on November 22 at 8.30 pm, during which he was detained for around 10 hours before being released.

‘Later, he was intoxicated and caused a nuisance, leading to his second arrest on November 23, when he was detained for under 10 hours.

‘When someone is detained for being drunk and causing a nuisance, we can keep them in custody until they become sober, after which we fine them before release.

'We did not conduct a drug test on him because it is not required for cases of intoxication and disorderly conduct.

'However, we questioned the owner of the hotel where he stayed and found that he was indeed almost always intoxicated and causing a disturbance daily.

'We maintain that our detention cells are cleaned every day and there are CCTV cameras recording images 24 hours a day. Currently, all facts are being investigated to ensure transparency.'

Former fishing village Pattaya became popular with American troops on 'rest and relaxation' breaks in the 1960s when the U.S. military had bases in Thailand. It has developed over the years into the world's biggest sex holiday destination.

The disturbing incident is the latest issue with tourists in the bustling coastal city, where round-the-clock sex workers cater to holidaymakers.

Government chiefs have attempted to clean up the city but regular violence and depravity continue to blight its reputation.