A female tourist ranted at police after allegedly refusing to pay her drinks bill in Phuket.

The South African woman was hauled to the station when she tried to drink and dash at a bar on the Thai holiday island on Friday.

Footage shows the female reveller, wearing dreadlocks and pair of tiny shorts, arguing with the officers. With long acrylic nails, she tapped on her phone as she claimed to show her bank accounts.

Watcharaphon, owner of the Nine Smith Phuket bar, said the customer had downed two shots of tequila while partying alone at around midnight.

She said: 'She ordered a shot of tequila, and the staff charged her right away as part of our standard procedure to prevent tourists from skipping out on the bill. She said she wanted to order another shot first and then pay all at once — she just wanted to drink and enjoy herself first.

'Our bar closes at 1:30 am, so we asked to collect the bill. She said she had no cash and asked to go withdraw money. A staff member accompanied her to an ATM, but once they arrived, she said she didn't bring her ATM card.'

Staff accompanied the woman to her hotel to retrieve her card, but when she tried to withdraw money, there was only 100 baht in her account.

She allegedly claimed 'the stock market had crashed' and continued to offer various excuses before being dragged back to the bar to explain herself.

Watcharaphon added: 'I tried to speak with her politely, explaining she had to pay, but she kept avoiding the issue, refused to look at the bill I handed her, and became loud and aggressive. So, I told the security guards to kick her out of the restaurant, but she kept yelling and mocking us.

'She said she was from South Africa and mocked the Thai accent of our staff who tried to talk to her. She told them, 'If you want to speak to me, speak English with the correct accent'. She then complained that our alcohol prices were expensive and compared them to those in dollars.

'When her behaviour became unacceptable, I started recording a video for evidence to show the police. She slapped my phone away, which is shown in the clip.'

The woman was also said to have insulted the police for having Thai accents. She was said to have been detained overnight and was later charged by cops for public disturbance, Watcharaphon said.

The once-pristine island of Phuket has been marred by over-tourism as the Thai government implements a visa-free scheme to boost revenue following the barren pandemic years.

The island saw 800,000 foreign visitors last year alone.

However, angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of 'low-quality' visitors from Russia, India and Australia. There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.

Phuket officials said they are implementing tighter immigration controls and screening processes amid a wave of drug-related crimes and illegal activities on the island.