A British tourist sparked outrage for allegedly trying to pay his taxi fare with a bag of cannabis in Thailand.

The male passenger agreed to pay 2,000 baht (46 GBP) for a long-distance ride from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok to his hotel in Pattaya.

He promised taxi driver Prachaup, 54, that his wife would settle the payment upon arrival for the 122km (75 miles) journey.

But when they reached their destination in the early hours of Tuesday, he handed over just 900 baht (20.7 GBP) in cash. His wife then emerged from the hotel, only to tell the cabbie she had just 50 baht on her.

The couple were said to have offered a large bag of cannabis instead to make up for the remainder.

The stunned driver demanded they pay the outstanding 1,050 baht, but the pair allegedly became angry and stormed off into the hotel.

Prachaup filed a complaint with the Pattaya City Police at around 1:36 am local time.

He said: 'He paid me only 900 baht. He did not attack me. He only broke his promise that his wife would pay for him.

‘His wife came down, so I thought she would pay for him.

‘I only received 900 baht, which is not worth it. I had to pay the toll fare too, so how much money will I have left?

‘I felt hurt because I drove legally and had a ticket from the airport. I did not pick him up from somewhere else. I usually drive around three trips daily, and this trip has already been wasted.'

Police Colonel Chanan Kesornbua, deputy superintendent of investigation, said the case was being investigated.

Thailand decriminalised marijuana in 2022, making it the first Asian nation to do so.

However, the lack of regulations caused a surge in unregulated sales and use, especially in tourist areas like Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya.

Government officials are now seeking to outlaw recreational cannabis use by requiring medical certificates to purchase the drug.

(1 GBP = 43.49 THB)